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Your soft tissues connect, support, or surround other tissues. Examples include your muscles, tendons, fat, and blood vessels. Soft tissue sarcoma is a cancer of these soft tissues. There are many kinds, based on the type of tissue they started in. They may cause a lump or swelling in the soft tissue. Sometimes they spread and can press on nerves and organs, causing problems such as pain or trouble breathing.

No one knows exactly what causes these cancers. They are not common, but you have a higher risk if you have been exposed to certain chemicals, have had radiation therapy, or have certain genetic diseases.

Doctors diagnose soft tissue sarcomas with a biopsy. Treatments include surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Symptoms of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The following features are indicative of Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
  • lump formation
  • swelling
  • pain
  • soreness
It is possible that Soft Tissue Sarcoma shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.

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Common Causes of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The following are the most common causes of Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
  • DNA mutations

Risk Factors for Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The following factors may increase the likelihood of Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
  • hereditary retinoblastoma
  • Li-Fraumeni syndrome
  • familial adenomatous polyposis
  • neurofibromatosis
  • tuberous sclerosis
  • Werner syndrome
  • exposure to herbicides, arsenic and dioxin
  • radiation exposure

Prevention of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Yes, it may be possible to prevent Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Prevention may be possible by doing the following:
  • avoiding exposure to radiations
  • avoiding exposure to chemicals such as herbicides, arsenic and dioxin

Occurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Number of Cases

The following are the number of Soft Tissue Sarcoma cases seen each year worldwide:
  • Not common between 50K - 500K cases

Common Age Group

Soft Tissue Sarcoma can occur at any age.

Common Gender

Soft Tissue Sarcoma can occur in any gender.

Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
  • Imaging tests: To evaluate the area of concern
  • Sample tissue biopsy: To test the sarcoma in lab

Doctor for Diagnosis of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
  • Oncologist

Complications of Soft Tissue Sarcoma if untreated

Yes, Soft Tissue Sarcoma causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Soft Tissue Sarcoma is left untreated:
  • leg swelling
  • pain
  • heavy cough

Procedures for Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The following procedures are used to treat Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
  • Surgery: To remove the cancer and some healthy tissue surrounding it
  • Radiation therapy: To kill cancer cells
  • Chemotherapy: To inhibit the growth of cancer cells

Self-care for Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The following self-care actions or lifestyle changes may help in the treatment or management of Soft Tissue Sarcoma:
  • Regular exercise: Do regular exercise to maintain physical and mental health
  • Maintain healthy diet: Develop healthy eating habits

Patient Support for Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

The following actions may help Soft Tissue Sarcoma patients:
  • Family and friends support: Helps build up emotional strength and comfort, provides practical support
  • Education: Helps becoming more confident in making treatment decisions
  • Support group: Sharing about hopes and fears helps to cope with condition

Related Topics

Last updated date

This page was last updated on 9/10/2019.
This page provides information for Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

Related Topics

Kaposi's Sarcoma

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