Overview

Soft tissue sarcomas present unique challenges in detection and treatment. Sarcomas are unusual in that they can occur in any site of the human body, although about 50 percent occur in the limbs. There are more than 50 different types of soft tissue sarcomas and sarcoma-like growths. Major types of soft tissue sarcomas in adults include:

Type of Sarcoma	Tissue of Origin
Liposarcoma	Fat tissue, usually in the arms, legs, or body cavities
Fibrosarcoma	Begins in fibrous tissue, which holds bones, muscles, and other organs in place
Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma	Tendons and ligaments (fibrous tissue), usually in the arms, legs, or trunk
Leiomyosarcoma	Involuntary muscle (smooth muscle), such as that found in the uterus and digestive tract
Neurofibrosarcoma	Peripheral-nerve sheaths in arms, legs, or trunk
Rhabdomyosarcoma	Skeletal muscle, usually in arms or legs
Synovial Sarcoma	Cell of origin unknown

In a survey of the approximately 8,000 soft tissue sarcoma patients admitted to Memorial Sloan-Kettering from 1982 to 2009, the following information about the original site of the sarcoma was reported:

• 32 percent of sarcomas were found in a lower extremity
• 18 percent in the viscera (organs located within the chest and abdomen, such as the stomach, kidney, uterus, etc.)
• 15 percent in the retroperitoneal region (the area outside or behind the peritoneum, which is the tissue that lines the abdominal wall)
• 13 percent in an upper extremity
• 8 percent in the trunk
• 14 percent in other sites

Since there are many subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma, each with differing characteristics, the risk and seriousness of the disease can vary widely. In some patients, sarcomas are minor, non-threatening tumors that can be cured with simple surgery. In others, the tumors can be large and much more aggressive, requiring chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well as surgery.

In addition, the capacity of sarcomas to metastasize (spread) to other sites also varies widely. If metastasis occurs, the cancer can sometimes be cured with surgery; in other instances, it can be a life-threatening problem. If the sarcoma tumor is small (less than 5 centimeters), diagnosed as low-grade, and is detected early (before it has had a chance to spread), the five-year survival rate is approximately 90 percent.