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.