Getting diagnosed
Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:
need to be reliable at picking up cancers
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do
Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.
There is no national screening programme for soft tissue sarcoma because:
this condition is very rare, so many people would have unnecessary tests
the benefits don't outweigh the costs
People who have had radiotherapy are known to have a slightly increased risk of getting a sarcoma in the part of the body that was treated. Your specialist will be aware of this and will keep an eye out for symptoms. Talk to your specialist at one of your check ups if you are worried about this risk.
Some faulty genes that increase the risk of cancer can be passed on from parent to child. These are called inherited cancer genes. This occurs when there is a mistake or a fault in the genes in an egg or sperm cell. Then the gene fault can be passed on to children. Genes that increase the risk of cancer are called cancer susceptibility genes.
Some cancer susceptibility genes have been linked to some specific types of soft tissue sarcoma.
You might have regular monitoring for cancers if you have:
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
neurofibromatosis
retinoblastoma
Read more about genes and cancer
Researchers are still trying to work out how best to screen those people at high risk for soft tissue sarcoma. Some studies looked at using whole body MRI, but this is not standard practice in the UK.
Read more about the risks and causes of soft tissue sarcomas
Last reviewed: 08 Jul 2024
Next review due: 08 Jul 2027
The most common symptoms include a lump that's painless, increasing in size, or pain or soreness as the lump grows and presses against nerves and muscles.
You have a number of tests to check for soft tissue sarcoma. The tests you might have include an ultrasound scan and taking a sample of tissue called a biopsy.
Staging means how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Grading means how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope.
The type of soft tissue sarcoma you have tells you the type of cell that the cancer started in. Knowing this helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.
Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that develop in the supporting tissues of the body. These include tissues such as the muscle, nerves, fat and blood vessels.
Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that develop in the supporting tissues of the body. These include tissues such as the muscle, nerves, fat and blood vessels.
About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Learn more about Dangoor Education
Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
Meet and chat to other cancer people affected by cancer.
Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 40 40 from 9 to 5 - Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us.
