Soft tissue sarcoma

What is soft tissue sarcoma?

Soft tissue sarcoma (SPB) is a malignant tumor that originates in the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, connective tissue, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves, ligaments and fatty tissue.

Of the different types of cancer, sarcomas are among the rarest. They constitute 1% of all malignant tumors. They can occur in any part of the body, but the most affected areas are the legs and arms, but they can also develop in the trunk, head and neck.

There are numerous types of soft tissue sarcoma, more than 50, which differ according to the position of origin of the tumor:

  • Angiosarcoma forms from the cells of a blood or lymphatic vessel.
  • Fibrosarcoma of fibroblasts.
  • Leiomyosarcoma of smooth muscle tissue cell.
  • Liposarcoma of adipose tissue.
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma of skeletal muscle tissue.
  • Gastrointestinal stromal tumor originating in the digestive system.
  • Kaposi’s sarcoma of the skin, viscera or mucous membranes.
  • Bone sarcomas include osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma.

What are the symptoms of soft tissue sarcoma?

In general, sarcoma does not produce symptoms in the initial stages; when it begins to grow, however, the symptoms are quite vague. When the sarcoma is located in the lower extremities and upper extremities, swellings form at the level of the tumor, which are not always associated with pain.

However, if the tumor originates in the abdominal cavity, the most typical symptoms are bleeding and intestinal obstruction.

In order to distinguish whether or not it is a malignant tumor, it is necessary to quickly assess whether its size is greater than 5 centimeters, its location and rapid growth.

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How is the diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma made?

If there is suspicion of SPB, the patient will undergo a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the affected area and a biopsy. Thanks to the results of the tests, it will be possible to assess whether it is a malignant or benign tumor according to its characteristics. It will also help to plan the surgery.

What are the causes of soft tissue sarcoma?

It is difficult to identify the causes and risk factors common to all types of sarcomas. However, some risk factors have been identified that include:

  • Familiarity with diseases of genetic origin, such as neurofibromatosis, Gardner syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome and retinoblastoma.
  • Radiation exposure.
  • Surgical removal of lymph nodes and chronic lymphedema.
  • Exposure to some chemicals, such as vinyl chloride, dioxin and some pesticides.

What is the treatment?

The treatment of sarcoma requires the collaboration of several specialists, due to the location where this type of neoplasm develops. Surgical treatment is the first option in case of localized tumors.

Surgery is used to radically remove the tumor together with the adjacent tissues: the risk of the tumor attacking the surrounding tissues and generating metastases, in fact, is particularly high in case of sarcoma.

Radiotherapy helps to reduce the size of the sarcoma before surgery and after surgery, it is indicated in the most aggressive forms to reduce the risk of recurrence. Chemotherapy is used in the presence of