Can sarcoma be prevented?
Currently, there are no known ways to prevent most types of sarcoma.
If you are experiencing any unusual symptoms such as a lump or a bump on your body that doesn’t go away, be sure to talk to your doctor.
What are the risk factors for sarcoma?
Because sarcoma can occur most anywhere in the body, there are different risk factors that may increase the likelihood that you could develop specific sarcomas. A risk factor is anything that may cause you to develop a disease.
Soft tissue sarcoma risk factors
For soft tissue sarcomas, some risk factors may include:
- Certain inherited genetic conditions like Li-Fraumeni syndrome, von Recklinghausen disease, Gardner syndrome or Werner syndrome
- Lymphedema
- Exposure to radiation or other chemicals like arsenic or vinyl chloride
Osteosarcoma risk factors
For bone sarcomas, risk factors may include:
- Previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Bone marrow transplants
- Some conditions such Bloom syndrome, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Paget's disease or hereditary retinoblastomas
There are other types of sarcomas including spine sarcoma, head and neck sarcoma, Kaposi sarcoma and uterine sarcoma that may have different risk factors. It’s important to talk to your doctor to fully understand your risks for each cancer type.