Sarcomas are malignant tumors that occur in connective tissues of the body, including muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, nerves, blood vessels, bone, and joint tissue. There are nearly 100 varieties of sarcoma, each classified by the type of cells they affect. Symptoms are not noticeable during early stages, making early detection difficult.
Sarcoma, a Greek word meaning “fleshy growth,” has a more serious definition in the medical industry. The least common type of cancer, sarcomas are malignant tumors that occur in the connective tissues of the body. These tissues are support cells that connect and surround other body structures. Connective tissues include muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, nerves, blood vessels, bone and joint tissue.
Sarcomas can develop anywhere on the body, but occur mainly in the feet, legs, and arms. 10% of cases occur in the abdomen, chest, shoulders, flanks and back, with the remaining 100% occurring around the neck and head. There are nearly XNUMX varieties of sarcoma, all of which can be classified according to the type of cells they affect.
1. Bone sarcomas. The most common type of bone cancer is known as osteosarcoma and occurs in growing bone tissue. Highly aggressive, primarily affecting adolescents and young adults. Although it can develop in bones anywhere in the body, osteosarcoma is most often found in the knee and upper arm regions. Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare type of bone cancer that grows in immature nerve cells in the bone marrow that surround the chest wall, pelvis, and vertebrae.
2. Sarcomas of muscle tissue. Most muscles are divided into two groups: skeletal and smooth muscles. Skeletal muscles move bones and are under our control. Smooth muscles line organs and blood vessels and cannot be controlled consciously. Rhabdomyosarcomas are tumors found in the growing skeletal muscles of the legs, arms, neck and head, as well as in the urinary and reproductive organs. More than 50% of rhabdomyosarcoma cases affect children under the age of ten. Leiomyosarcomas are smooth muscle sarcomas that affect adults and grow in the gastrointestinal tract, uterus, and other blood vessel linings.
3. Sarcomas of blood and lymph vessels. Hemangiosarcomas affect adults in the blood vessels of the trunk, head and legs. Infantile hemangiopericytomas develop in the same blood vessels but affect children under the age of four. Kaposi’s sarcoma is most prevalent in people with immune deficiency diseases such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Sarcomas of the lymph vessels are known as lymphangiosarcomas. These malignant tumors grow in the arms and sometimes appear as a side effect of radiation therapy for cancer patients.
4. Nervous tissue sarcomas. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), otherwise known as neurofibrosarcoma, is a tumor of the peripheral nerves of the trunk, arms, or legs. Alveolar soft tissue sarcomas are rare and affect young adults in the muscle nerves of the legs and arms.
5. Adipose tissue sarcomas. Liposarcomas appear when cancer cells grow in the body’s fatty tissues. They can appear anywhere on the body, but usually affect the abdominal area, such as the soft tissue located in the back of the abdominal cavity.
6. Articular tissue sarcomas. The tissues around the joints in the body, especially the knees and ankles, are susceptible to synovial sarcoma, a cancer that occurs in adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 40. Synovial sarcoma spreads rapidly to other parts of the body through lymph and blood. circulation.
7. Fibrous tissue sarcomas. Fibrosarcomas exist in cells that help develop scars around the trunk, arms or legs. The incidence of this tumor occurs in adults between the ages of 30 and 40. Malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFH) occur in the fibrous tissues of the legs of older people. Dermatofibrosarcomas are cancer cells under the surface of the skin of the limbs and trunk.
Sarcomas are silent predators that show no symptoms or warning signs during their early stages. Difficult to detect at first, the tumors slowly develop into noticeable but painless lumps or swelling. The continued growth of cancer cells puts pressure on nearby nerves and muscles, eventually causing pain and discomfort. If you experience lumps or swelling anywhere on your body, or if you experience painful symptoms of a sarcoma, such as blood in your stools or persistent abdominal pain, see a specialist doctor right away.
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