Sarcoma Postoperative Calculator Predicts survival for patients who are no more than six months past their surgery 
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Most soft tissue sarcomas do not have any identifiable risk factor. Some types of sarcoma are more common in specific age groups -- for example, rhabdomyosarcoma is more common in children than in adults, and synovial sarcomas are more common in adolescents. But sarcomas occur at all ages, in both men and women.
Doctors recognize some familial syndromes that can predispose people to sarcoma, including neurofibromatosis, Gardner's syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and retinoblastoma.
Other factors that have been associated with soft tissue sarcomas include prior exposure to radiation, chronic lymphedema (a condition in which excess fluid collects in tissue and causes swelling, often in the arms and legs), and in rare instances, exposure to certain chemicals. Cancer of the lymph nodes (lymphangiosarcoma) can develop when lymph nodes have been surgically removed or damaged by radiation therapy (both rare in current practice).
The ability to identify patients at risk for soft tissue sarcoma may eventually lead to new ways to detect the disease early, determine at which stages it is most curable, and improve treatments. Memorial Sloan-Kettering researchers are investigating whether particular risk factors -- including family history of the disease, lifestyle, occupation, genetic makeup, or environmental exposure to certain chemicals -- may contribute to the development of the disease.
