Sarcoma is a cancer that affects soft tissue and bones.

Sarcoma is a rare cancer in adults. It’s estimated to make up around one percent of all adult cancers. However, it’s more prevalent in children, accounting for around 20 % of all childhood cancers. Since awareness is always the key to early detection, there are facts we should all know.

Sarcoma is a general term to describe a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and soft tissue. There are more than 70 subtypes of sarcoma.

The Sarcoma Foundation of America’s website says, “It is made up of many ‘subtypes’ because it can arise from a variety of tissue structures (nerves, muscles, joints, bone, fat, blood vessels — collectively referred to as the body’s ‘connective tissues’).”

Mayo Clinic says that it’s not clear what causes most sarcomas. “In general, cancer forms when changes (mutations) happen in the DNA within cells. The DNA inside a cell is packaged into a large number of individual genes, each of which contains a set of instructions telling the cell what functions to perform, as well as how to grow and divide.”

“Mutations might tell cells to grow and divide uncontrollably and to continue living when normal cells would die. If this happens, the accumulating abnormal cells can form a tumor. Cells can break away and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.”

SFA explains that sarcomas can arise anywhere in your body. “Thus, within each site of the more ‘common’ cancers there is the occasional surprise sarcoma diagnosis (e.g., breast sarcoma, stomach sarcoma, lung sarcoma, ovarian sarcoma, etc.). The most frequent location are the limbs since this is where the majority of the body’s connective tissue resides. They are commonly hidden deep in the body, so sarcoma is often diagnosed when it has already become too large to expect a hope of being cured.”

The most common bone sarcoma subtype is osteosarcoma. It’s most often seen in teenagers, with the average age of diagnosis occurring at 15. Although it occurs in females, males make up the majority.

The Cleveland Clinic’s website says it “most often affects long bones, such as those in the arms and legs. It usually occurs near the ends of your bones and near your knee where the fastest growth is taking place.”

They say that the common symptoms include “bone pain or tenderness; a mass or lump (tumor) that is warm and might be felt through your skin; swelling and redness at the site of your tumor; increased pain with lifting (if it affects your arm); limping (if it affects your leg); limited movement (if it affects a joint); unexplained fever, or a broken bone (sometimes this happens after a simple movement).”

Soft tissue sarcomas can develop anywhere in the body but most often appear in the arms, legs, chest, and in the space behind the belly. Some soft tissue sarcomas are more common in adults than in children or adolescents.

Cleveland Clinic says that “many soft tissue sarcoma symptoms are similar to other, less serious conditions. You should contact a healthcare provider if you have a new lump or a fast-growing lump anywhere on your body; a lump that starts to hurt; belly pain that’s getting worse; blood in your poop or poop that appears black; nausea and vomiting; losing weight without trying.”

They explain that the lump might look like the kind of lump you’d get if you smacked your arm or leg against something hard like a table leg.

“The difference between that kind of lump or bump is that soft tissue sarcomas may not hurt or bruise like a bump from an injury. Soft tissue sarcomas also don’t go away like bumps from injuries. Instead, they may get larger. Sometimes they start to hurt.”

Diagnosis may involve imaging such as X-rays, CT or MRI scans, but the definitive test is a biopsy which is when a sample of tissue is removed and examined under a microscope. Treatment often includes surgery to remove the sarcoma, followed possibly by radiation and/or chemotherapy.

As with all cancers, early detection is critical to obtaining the best outcomes. Don’t ignore suspicious lumps, pains or symptoms. If you do, you might lose a limb or, worse, your life.

Kathy Hubbard is a member of the Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.