Disease & Drug Information

Sarcoma

Sarcoma develops from tissues like muscle or bone tissues. There are two primary types of sarcoma:

  • Soft tissue sarcoma which starts in the soft tissues such as fat, nerves, muscles, fibrous tissues, deep skin tissues or blood vessels.
  • Osteosarcoma, which develops from bone.

We are going to focus on soft tissue sarcoma in this section.

A sarcoma may appear as a painless lump under the skin, often on an arm or a leg. Sarcomas that begin in the abdomen may not cause symptoms until they become very large. As the sarcoma grows larger and presses on nearby organs, nerves, muscles, or blood vessels, symptoms may include pain or trouble breathing.

Visit the National Cancer Institute where you can find more information on bone and soft tissue sarcomas. And be sure to ask your cancer care team questions about your individual situation.