Adult Soft Tissue SarcomaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is cancer that forms in the soft tissue of the body. Soft tissue connects, supports, or surrounds other body parts. In adults, STS is rare.
There are many different types of soft tissue cancers. The type of sarcoma depends on the tissue it forms in:
- Muscles
- Tendons
- Fat
- Blood vessels
- Lymph vessels
- Nerves
- Tissues in and around joints
The cancer can form almost anywhere, but is most common in the:
- Head
- Neck
- Arms
- Legs
- Trunk
- Abdomen
STS; Leiomyosarcoma; Hemangiosarcoma; Kaposi's sarcoma; Lymphangiosarcoma; Synovial sarcoma; Neurofibrosarcoma; Liposarcoma; Fibrosarcoma; Malignant fibrous histiocytoma; Dermatofibrosarcoma; Angiosarcoma
It is not known what causes most sarcomas. But there are certain risk factors:
- Some inherited diseases, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Radiation therapy for other cancers
- Exposure to certain chemicals, such as vinyl chloride or certain herbicides
- Having swelling in the arms or legs for a long time (lymphedema)
In early stages, there are often no symptoms. As the cancer grows, it may cause a lump or swelling that keeps growing over time. Most lumps are not due to cancer.
Other symptoms include:
- Pain, if it presses on a nerve, organ, blood vessel, bone, or muscle
- Blockage or bleeding in the stomach or intestines
- Breathing problems
Surgery is the most common treatment for STS.
- In early stages, the tumor and some healthy tissue around it is removed.
- Sometimes, just a small amount of tissue needs to be removed. Other times, a wider area of tissue must be removed.
- With advanced cancers that form in an arm or leg, surgery may be followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Rarely, the limb may need to be amputated.
You also may have radiation therapy or chemotherapy:
- Used before surgery to help shrink the tumor to make it easier to remove the cancer
- Used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells
Chemotherapy may be used to help kill cancer that has metastasized. This means it has spread to different areas of the body.
Brigham And Women's Hospital, Division Of Surgical Oncology
Dr. Raut is the Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and the inaugural Distinguished Chair for Cancer Care at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He received a BA and BS from Stanford University, MSc from University of Oxford, and MD from Harvard Medical School, where he is also a Professor of Surgery. He completed his residency in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and fellowship in surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Raut specializes in the multidisciplinary care of patients with soft tissue sarcoma and serves as the Surgery Director for the Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center (DFBCC). His research focuses on multimodal strategies to reduce rates of local recurrence for patients with sarcoma. Dr. Raut is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma. His top areas of expertise are Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, Angiosarcoma, Nephrectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Duke Cancer Center
I am a medical oncologist who focuses on bone and soft tissue cancers called sarcomas. I love spending time with my patients. They often have a sense of awareness about their condition that’s truly unique and rewarding. I partner with each patient so they know the full set of options available for treatment and can make an informed decision about the approach that is best for them. I’ve wanted to pursue medicine for as long as I can remember. I find cancer fascinating because of its ability to evade the immune system. The body fails to recognize cancer as being foreign. When I am not at work, I love spending time with my family and enjoy long distance running. Dr. Riedel is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma. His top areas of expertise are Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Liposarcoma, Desmoid Tumor, and Angiosarcoma.
Skip Viragh Outpatient Cancer Center
Dr. Meyer will serve as the lead medical oncologist for adult sarcoma patients, and will focus on building the Adult Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology Program. In collaboration with pediatric oncologist David Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., and orthopaedic surgeon Kristy Weber, M.D., Meyer will bring novel therapies to the clinic for sarcoma patients. Meyer received his bachelors and masters degrees in cell and molecular biology from Stanford University. From there, he joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine and earned his medical degree followed by a doctorate in immunology. Meyer completed his residency at the University of Maryland and served as chief resident in medicine from 2004-2005. Afterward, he joined our fellowship program in medical oncology and has been working in the laboratory of Jonathan Powell, M.D., Ph.D., on projects relating to the characterization of molecular regulatory pathways involved in T-cell activation and energy. As a third-year fellow, Meyer served as the chief fellow for our Training Programs in Hematology and Medical Oncology and he received a Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2010. Dr. Meyer is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma. His top areas of expertise are Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Fibrosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, and Salpingo-Oophorectomy.
Cancer affects how you feel about yourself and your life. You can ease the stress of illness by joining a cancer support group. Sharing with others who have had the same experiences and problems can help you feel less alone.
Ask your provider to help you find a support group for people who have been diagnosed with STS.
The outlook for people whose cancer is treated early is very good. Most people who survive 5 years can expect to be cancer-free at 10 years.
Complications include side effects from surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.
See your provider about any lump that grows in size or is painful.
The cause of most STSs isn't known and there is no way to prevent it. Knowing your risk factors and telling your provider when you first notice symptoms can increase your chance of surviving this type of cancer.
Summary: This is a study evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of calderasib alone, and calderasib plus other combination therapies in participants with advanced solid tumors with identified kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog G12C (KRAS G12C) mutation.
Summary: This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of combination therapy with liposomal doxorubicin and peposertib in treating patients with sarcoma that has spread from where it first started, to other places in the body (metastatic), or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) and for which no known cure is available (advanced). Doxorubicin is in a class of medications called a...
Published Date: August 21, 2024
Published By: Warren Brenner, MD, Oncologist, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Contreras CM, Heslin MJ. Soft tissue sarcoma. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 32.
National Cancer Institute website. Soft tissue sarcoma treatment (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/hp/adult-soft-tissue-treatment-pdq#section/all. Updated April 10, 2024. Accessed August 29, 2024.
Van Tine BA. Sarcomas of soft tissue. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 90.