Soft Tissue Sarcoma - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods

Soft tissue sarcoma is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells begin growing in soft tissue in the body. They can develop in any part of the body. Soft tissue sarcomas aren't common. Soft tissue sarcomas originate in such tissues as fat, muscles, nerves, tendons, and blood and lymph vessels. They occur slightly more often in men than in women, and they sometimes occur in children and adolescents. There are many different kinds of soft tissue sarcoma, depending on the soft tissue where the cancer begins. Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of childhood soft tissue sarcoma. Some sarcomas, such as osteosarcoma, start in bone. These grow and develop differently and are treated differently from soft tissue sarcomas.

Soft tissue sarcoma is more likely to develop in people who have specific genetic conditions, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, who have previously received radiation therapy. Because soft tissue is relatively elastic, tumors can grow rather large, pushing aside normal tissue, before they are felt or cause problems. Soft tissue sarcomas are classified according to the type of soft tissue they resemble. The first symptom may be a solid mass or lump. If the mass interferes with a function of the body, it may cause other symptoms. Soft tissue sarcoma rarely causes fever, weight loss, or night sweats. Less commonly they may occur in the head and neck. Soft tissue sarcomas go by a variety of names, depending on the tissue in which they originate.

Causes of Soft tissue sarcoma

The common causes and risk factor's of Soft tissue sarcoma include the following:

The exact cause of soft tissue sarcoma is not known.

Prior exposure to radiation.

Exposure to some chemical agents and recent history of trauma.

History of angiosarcoma of the liver

Weak or poorly functioning immune system.

Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Symptoms of Soft tissue sarcoma

Some symptoms related to Soft tissue sarcoma are as follows:

Stomach pain and vomiting.

Pain, which becomes more constant as the disease progresses.

Swelling may be present in the area of pain.

Cough and breathlessness.

Bleeding.

Pain in the pelvis or lower abdomen.

The feeling of being full without eating very much (early satiety).

Treatment of Soft tissue sarcoma

Here is list of the methods for treating Soft tissue sarcoma:

Surgery is the most common treatment for soft tissue sarcoma.

Chemotherapy has been very effective in bone sarcomas and rhabdomyosarcomas, or muscle tumors.

Radiation therapy- also called radiotherapy or X-ray therapy- involves treating cancer with beams of high-energy particles, or waves (radiation), such as gamma rays or X-rays.