Sarcomas are uncommon. They can occur most anywhere in the body including the soft tissue and the bone. They are found in the extremities, like arms and legs, or even in the head. The type of sarcoma you have will be determined through imaging tests or biopsies.
A cancer diagnosis may be complex and overwhelming. When you are diagnosed with a rare cancer like sarcoma, you want the experts on your side to help you through the process from diagnosis to treatment. At the OSUCCC – James, our team of sarcoma subspecialists can help you navigate your diagnosis no matter what type you may have.
Types of bone sarcomas
There are several types of bone sarcomas. The most common are:
- Chondrosarcoma – This cancer develops in the bone’s cartilage cells.
- Chordoma – This is a tumor that forms along the skull base or spine.
- Osteosarcoma – A more common sarcoma subtype that forms in osteoblasts (bone cells), which grows new bone tissue.
- Ewing's sarcoma – This sarcoma often affects children but is also found in adults, and forms in the bone or soft tissue surrounding the bone.
Types of soft tissue sarcoma
Soft tissue sarcomas make up the most sarcoma diagnoses. These types of cancer form in parts of the body where soft tissues are present, including muscles, blood vessels, fat and tendons. Soft tissue sarcoma can form most anywhere in the body.
The most common types of soft tissue sarcomas include:
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) – A tumor that forms because of abnormal cell growth in the gastrointestinal tract such as in the stomach or intestines.
- Liposarcoma – It originates in the fatty tissues of the body and can occur most anywhere.
- Leiomyosarcoma – This tumor starts in the smooth muscles of the body like the stomach or intestines. It also occurs in the muscle that makes up the walls of veins in the arms, legs and pelvis.
- Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) – A type of sarcoma, also referred to as malignant fibrous histiocytoma, that is mostly found in the soft tissues. It gets its name from the different cell shapes that form when compared to the surrounding tissue.
- Synovial cell sarcoma – This type of sarcoma can form a soft tissue mass almost anywhere in the body. It usually first appears in adults under 40 years old.
- Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor – Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, or MPNST, are cancerous tumors and tend to be aggressive. These were formerly referred to as neurofibrosarcomas. They are incredibly rare and account for less than 0.001% of cancer diagnoses. These cancerous tumors are more likely to occur if you have neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Usually, this soft tissue sarcoma starts in the lining that protects the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves tied to your brain and spinal cord.
- Uterine sarcoma – Uterine sarcoma occurs when cancerous cells form in the muscle or lining of the uterus.
- Rhabdomyosarcoma – This occurs when cancerous cells emerge in the muscles that are connected to bones. It’s usually diagnosed in children.
- Myxofibrosarcoma – This sarcoma originates in the connective tissues and often grows in the extremities, such as the arms or legs. The tumor may look like a small lump. This type of sarcoma can be locally aggressive and can enter into the surrounding tissues, which can make it more likely to grow back after surgery than other sarcomas. This sarcoma tends to affect you if you are a male assigned at birth and if you are over 50 years old.
- Angiosarcoma – Angiosarcoma occurs in the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels or lymph vessels. This cancer can be found anywhere in the body, but often occurs in the chest wall after breast cancer radiation treatments.
- Solitary fibrous tumor – This type of tumor is rare and aggressive. If tumor is in the skull base, it is referred to as hemangiopericytoma. Solitary fibrous tumor occurs in the blood vessels and surrounding tissues. This sarcoma can grow anywhere in the body but commonly appears in the membrane surrounding the skull-base.
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans – This is a type of skin cancer. It occurs in the skin’s dermis (middle layers), grows slowly and usually does not spread.
- Desmoplastic small round cell tumors – These sarcomas form and grow in the abdomen or pelvic area. They are incredibly rare; however, cases have risen in the last three decades. In addition, these sarcomas tend to more often appear in those assigned male at birth.
- Epithelioid sarcoma – Usually found in young adults, this type of soft tissue sarcoma, like others, can occur most anywhere on the body. It can cause growths or lumps under the skin. It grows slowly and can recur even when treated.
- Clear cell sarcoma – This type of sarcoma usually starts in the muscles or tendons in the lower part of the legs or feet. It’s usually diagnosed in young adults. This sarcoma gets its name because the tumor’s cells appear clear when viewed under a microscope.
Nonsarcoma aggressive benign tumors
There are some tumors that may present like sarcomas but are not cancerous. These types of tumors won’t usually spread to other parts of the body.
- Giant cell tumors – There are two main types of giant cell tumors including giant cell tumor of bone and pigmented villonodular tenosynovitis/tenosynovial giant cell tumor. Each tumor type is different with their own unique treatment options including surgery.
- Desmoid tumors – Desmoid tumors are noncancerous tumors that grow in the connective tissues of your body. They start in the fibroblast cells, located in your connective tissues. Like other soft tissue tumors, they can occur most anywhere in the body. They can be incredibly painful and can either grow slowly or quickly. Desmoid tumors are rare; they account for about three diagnoses for every million people.