What is Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma is a type of cancer. This cancer affects the tissues that connect body parts together (connective tissues). Connective tissues include blood vessels, muscles, fat, nerves, tendons, and deep skin tissues. Cancer results when healthy cells change and start to grow out of control.

Most soft tissue sarcomas start in the connective tissue of the arms or legs, but they can develop anywhere in the body where there is connective tissue. There are more than 50 different soft tissue sarcomas.

What are the causes?

The cause of this condition is not known.

What increases the risk?

You are more likely to develop this condition if:

• You inherit genes that increase your risk.
• You have a family history of soft tissue sarcoma.
• You have been exposed to toxic chemicals such as arsenic, chemicals used to make plastics, or high doses of weed killers (herbicides).
• You have had radiation therapy for another kind of cancer.

What are the signs or symptoms?

The main symptom of this condition is a slow-growing lump or swelling in an arm or leg. It may or may not be painful. Other symptoms depend on where the soft tissue sarcoma is growing. These may include:

• Belly pain.
• Bloody or black, tarry stool (feces).
• Vomiting blood.
• Vomit that looks like coffee grounds.

How is this diagnosed?

Your health care provider may suspect a soft tissue sarcoma from your signs and symptoms. This condition may be diagnosed based on a physical exam and tests. These tests include:

• Imaging tests, such as an MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound.
• A procedure to remove a piece of the lump or growth to examine under a microscope (biopsy). This is the most important test. It is the only way to make a final diagnosis.

Your health care team will use information from imaging studies and your biopsy to describe how far your cancer has spread (its stage). Soft tissue sarcoma is staged from 1 to 4. Stage 1 describes an early cancer that has not spread. Stage 4 means the cancer is advanced and has spread to distant areas of the body.

How is this treated?

Treatment for this condition depends on the stage of the cancer. Your health care provider will also consider your age and general health to determine the best treatment for you. Treatment options include:

• Surgery. Surgery is a common treatment and may be used for all stages.
• Radiation therapy. This treatment may be given before surgery to shrink a sarcoma tumor or after surgery to kill any remaining tumor cells. Radiation alone may be used in people who are not well enough for surgery. Sometimes a radiation-only treatment is used in advanced cases when surgery will not help.
• Chemotherapy. Treatment with cancer-killing drugs is effective for some types of soft tissue sarcoma. Chemotherapy may be given along with other treatments. It may be used before or after surgery.
• Targeted therapy. Targeted therapies are drugs used to treat cancer. These drugs are targeted to attack just cancer cells. Targeted therapy drugs can be used for some types of soft tissue sarcomas.
• Immunotherapy. This treatment helps your body’s immune system fight the cancer cells.

Follow these instructions at home:

Home instructions depend on the type of treatment you have.

• If you have surgery, you will be given specific home care instructions. Follow these carefully.
• Radiation therapies, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy all have different side effects. Make sure you know what side effects to look for and when to call your health care provider.

General instructions

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Do not take dietary supplements or herbal medicines unless your health care provider tells you to take them. Some supplements can interfere with how well the treatment works.
• Try to eat healthy meals regularly. Some of your treatments might affect your appetite. If you are having problems eating or if you do not have an appetite, meet with a diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian).
• Do not drive or use heavy machinery while taking prescription pain medicine.
• Return to your normal activities as told by your health care provider. Ask your health care provider what activities are safe for you.
• Consider joining a support group for people who have cancer.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Where to find more information

• American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org  
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): www.cancer.gov  

Contact a health care provider if:

• You develop new symptoms.

Get help right away if you have:

• A fever or chills.
• Severe pain.
• Chest pain or difficulty breathing.

Summary

• Soft tissue sarcoma is a type of cancer that affects the tissues that connect body parts together (connective tissues).
• The cause of this condition is not known.
• Cancer results when healthy cells change and start to grow out of control.
• Treatment for this condition depends on the stage of the cancer.
• Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, or cancer drugs. These treatments may be used alone or in combination.