What are Sarcomas?
Sarcomas are malignant tumours that arise from cells that make up connective tissue (bone, cartilage, blood vessels, muscle, fatty tissue, nerves), and can develop at any site in the body. There are many different types of sarcoma, but it is useful to think of them as either soft tissue sarcomas or bone sarcomas. Sarcomas are rare cancers - a GP can expect to see only one or two sarcomas in an entire career. There are approximately 3,300 soft tissue sarcomas and 550 bone sarcomas diagnosed each year in the UK.
There are many different types of sarcoma, but it is useful to think of them as either soft tissue sarcomas or bone sarcomas.
Soft Tissue Sarcomas
Soft tissue sarcomas are rare cancers than arise from soft tissues such as muscle, fat and blood vessels. The majority arise in the trunk and limbs but they may arise in specific organs such the uterus (womb), stomach and skin. Soft tissue sarcomas can occur at any age though are less common in children and the incidence increases with age. In the limbs and trunk the most common presentation is of an enlarging, painless lump.
Bone Sarcomas
Malignant primary bone tumours are rare with an overall incidence of around 1% off all new cancer cases in the UK. The four most common types of bone sarcoma are Chondrosarcoma (37%), Osteosarcoma (30%), Ewing's sarcoma (14%) and Chordoma (6%).
Most patients with bone tumours present with pain (particularly at night or non-mechanical) and/or swelling. Pathological fracture is a less common mode of presentation.
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