What are soft tissue sarcomas?

Soft tissue sarcomas are rare, and only 1,300 or so people a year in the UK will develop a sarcoma. Sarcomas are cancers that develop from cells in the soft, supporting tissues of the body. They can occur in muscle, fat, blood vessels or in any of the other tissues that support, surround and protect the organs of the body. The soft tissues of the body are also known as the mesenchyma, and so sometimes sarcomas are called mesenchymal tumours. Some types of sarcoma occur in children, teenagers and young adults, but generally sarcomas are more likely to develop in people over the age of 30.

Some sarcomas, such as osteosarcoma, start in bone. These grow and develop differently and are treated differently from soft tissue sarcomas.

CancerBACUP has a separate section on cancer that starts in the bone, primary bone cancer.

Almost half of all soft tissue sarcomas occur in the limbs – mostly around the knee joint. Other common sites are the chest, abdomen and pelvis – all in the trunk of the body. Less commonly they may occur in the head and neck.