Sarcoma Postoperative Calculator Predicts survival for patients who are no more than six months past their surgery 
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Soft tissue sarcomas arise in tissues such as fat, muscles, nerves, tendons, and blood and lymph vessels -- the soft tissues that connect, support, and surround other parts of the body.
This kind of cancer is rare, representing only about 1 percent of all cancer cases. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 4,530 men and 3,890 women will be diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma in the United States in 2005. (These numbers include sarcomas diagnosed in both adults and children.) Exact numbers are difficult to obtain because these tumors often are incorrectly classified as primary cancers of other organs to which they have spread from their original location in the body.
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 one-half 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,
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. These tumors are often associated with the joints. |
In a survey of approximately 5,000 soft tissue sarcoma patients admitted to Memorial Sloan-Kettering from 1982 to 2001:
- 32 percent of sarcomas were found in the lower extremities
- 18 percent in the viscera (organs located within the chest and abdomen, such as the stomach, kidney, uterus, etc.)
- 15 percent in the abdominal and retroperitoneal region (the area outside or behind the peritoneum, which is the tissue that lines the abdominal wall)
- 13 percent in the upper extremities
- 8 percent in the trunk
- 14 percent in other sites
Since there are many subtypes and differing characteristics of soft tissue sarcoma, 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, and require 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; at other times, it can be a life-threatening problem. If the sarcoma is detected early, before it has had a chance to spread, the five-year survival rate is approximately 90 percent.
