What causes soft tissue sarcoma?

The causes of soft tissue sarcoma are largely unknown. Most sarcomas are not thought to be due to inherited faulty genes, but some people who have particular rare genetic conditions are more at risk of developing a sarcoma. The rare inherited genetic conditions include neurofibromatosis, Gardner’s syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome and retinoblastoma. You would normally know if any member of your family had one of these conditions and their doctor would check them regularly for any sign of a sarcoma.

Very rarely, soft tissue sarcomas may also occur in an area that has previously been treated with radiotherapy for another type of cancer. The sarcoma will not usually develop for at least ten years after the radiotherapy treatment. Improvements in targeting radiotherapy mean that the risk of developing sarcoma is very small.

Exposure to some types of chemicals may be linked to the development of some sarcomas. The chemicals include vinyl chloride, which is used for making plastics, some types of herbicides (weedkillers), and dioxins.

As the cause of most sarcomas is not really known, research is continuing to try and find other causes.