Read article About sarcomas
This page tells you about soft tissue sarcomas. There is information about
About soft tissue sarcomas
Soft tissue is a term that doctors use to describe all the supporting tissues in the body, apart from the bones. Together, these tissues are known as connective tissues. They connect, support or surround other structures or organs in the body. Soft tissue includes
- Fat
- Muscle
- Blood vessels
- Deep skin tissues
- Nerves
- Tendons and ligaments
- The tissues around joints (synovial tissues)
Sarcomas are cancers that develop from the cells that make up soft tissue. Soft tissue is in all parts of the body. So sarcomas can grow almost anywhere.
The growth of the cancer causes a lump in the soft tissues. This can cause pressure on any body tissues or organs nearby. Eventually, cancer cells from the original site may break away and spread to other parts of the body. Sarcomas can spread to almost any organ in the body, including the lungs or bones. The new cancers are known as secondary cancers or metastases.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the About soft tissue sarcoma cancer section.
Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that develop from soft tissue. Soft tissue is a term that doctors use to describe all the supporting tissues in the body, apart from the bones. It includes
- Fat
- Muscle
- Blood vessels
- Deep skin tissues
- Nerves
- Tendons and ligaments
- The tissues around joints (synovial tissues)
Together, these tissues are known as connective tissues. They connect, support or surround other structures or organs in the body.
Soft tissue is in all parts of the body. So soft tissue sarcomas can grow almost anywhere. If the sarcoma is not treated, the cells continue to divide and the sarcoma will grow in size.
The growth of the sarcoma causes a lump in the soft tissues. This can cause pressure on any body tissues or organs nearby. Eventually, sarcoma cells from the original site may break away and spread to other parts of the body in the lymphatic system or through the bloodstream. It is rare for sarcoma cells to spread into lymph nodes.
If the sarcoma cells get into the bloodstream they can spread to almost any organ in the body, including the lungs or sometimes the bones. These cells can then form new areas of sarcoma, which are known as secondary cancers or metastases. For example, if you have a sarcoma that spreads to the lung, you have a secondary sarcoma in the lung. This is also called metastatic sarcoma.
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