Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

What is a soft tissue sarcoma? " пїЅ A soft tissue sarcoma is a cancer that grows from one of the "soft tissues " пїЅ in the body. The soft tissues in the body include the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and fat. пїЅ пїЅ

A soft tissue sarcoma happens when normal cells in a soft tissue change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. There are many types of soft tissue sarcomas. The type depends on the kind of soft tissue the cancer grows from. пїЅ пїЅ

Soft tissue sarcomas are more common in adults than in children. They can grow anywhere in the body, but they happen most often in the arms or legs. They can also grow in the belly, or on the belly or chest wall. пїЅ пїЅ

What are the symptoms of a soft tissue sarcoma? " пїЅ The most common symptom is a lump that grows slowly over weeks to months. The lump doesnt usually cause pain. пїЅ пїЅ

Having a lump doesn't always mean you have a soft tissue sarcoma. But if you have a lump that doesn't go away, tell your doctor or nurse. пїЅ пїЅ

Other symptoms of a soft tissue sarcoma depend on where the cancer is in your body. For example, a soft tissue sarcoma in the belly can cause belly pain, bloody bowel movements, or make you feel full after eating only a small amount of food. пїЅ пїЅ

Is there a test for a soft tissue sarcoma? " пїЅ Yes. To check if a lump is a soft tissue sarcoma, doctors usually do: пїЅ пїЅ

An imaging test " пїЅ Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body. Doctors can do different imaging tests, including an X-ray, MRI scan, or CT scan.
A biopsy " пїЅ During a biopsy, your doctor will take a small sample of tissue from the lump. Then another doctor will look at the sample under a microscope to see if it has cancer.

What is soft tissue sarcoma staging? " пїЅ Cancer staging is a way in which doctors find out whether a cancer has spread past the layer of tissue where it began and, if so, how far. пїЅ пїЅ

The right treatment will depend a lot on the type and stage of your soft tissue sarcoma, and where it is in your body. пїЅ пїЅ

How is a soft tissue sarcoma treated? " пїЅ Most people with a soft tissue sarcoma have one or more of the following treatments: пїЅ пїЅ

Surgery " пїЅ Doctors can sometimes do surgery to remove the soft tissue sarcoma.
Radiation therapy " пїЅ Radiation kills cancer cells.
Chemotherapy " пїЅ Chemotherapy is the term doctors use to describe a group of medicines that kill cancer cells.
Other medicines " пїЅ These include medicines called "targeted therapies " пїЅ that work only for cancers that have certain characteristics. Your doctor might do tests to see if your soft tissue sarcoma might respond to these types of medicines.

What happens after treatment? " пїЅ After treatment, you will be checked every so often to see if the soft tissue sarcoma comes back. Follow up tests usually include exams and imaging tests. You should also watch for new lumps, because a new lump could mean the soft tissue sarcoma has come back. пїЅ пїЅ

What happens if the soft tissue sarcoma comes back? " пїЅ If the soft tissue sarcoma comes back, your doctor might treat it with surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. пїЅ пїЅ

What else should I do? " пїЅ It is important to follow all your doctor's instructions about visits and tests. It's also important to talk to your doctor about any side effects or problems you have during treatment. пїЅ пїЅ

Getting treated for a soft tissue sarcoma can involve making many choices, such as what treatment to have. пїЅ пїЅ

Always let your doctors and nurses know how you feel about a treatment. Any time you are offered a treatment, ask: пїЅ пїЅ

What are the benefits of this treatment? Is it likely to help me live longer? Will it reduce or prevent symptoms?
What are the downsides to this treatment?
Are there other options besides this treatment?
What happens if I do not have this treatment?

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 17046 Version 2.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.206 пїЅ пїЅ

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Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The Basics

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