Everything about Sarcoma totally explained
A
sarcoma (from the Greek 'sarx' meaning "flesh") is a
cancer of the
connective or supportive tissue (
bone,
cartilage,
fat,
muscle,
blood vessels) and
soft tissue. This is in contrast to
carcinomas, which are of
epithelial origin (
breast,
colon,
pancreas, and others).
Classification
Sarcomas are given a number of different names, based on the type of tissue from which they arise. For example,
osteosarcoma arises from
bone,
chondrosarcoma arises from
cartilage, and
leiomyosarcoma arises from
smooth muscle. Sarcomas strike people in all age ranges, but they're very rare, accounting for only 1% of all cases of
cancer. Soft tissue sarcomas, such as
leiomyosarcoma,
chondrosarcoma, and
gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), are more common in adults than in children. GIST is the most common form of sarcoma, with approximately 3000-3500 cases per year in the United States. This should be compared with breast cancer, with approximately 200,000 cases per year in North America. Bone sarcomas, such as
osteosarcoma and
Ewing's sarcoma, are more common in children than in adults. These tumors most commonly strike adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 25. In addition to being named based on the tissue of origin, sarcomas are also assigned a grade, such as low grade or high grade. Low grade sarcomas are usually treated surgically, although sometimes
radiation therapy or
chemotherapy are used. High grade sarcomas are more frequently treated with
chemotherapy. Since these tumors are more likely to undergo
metastasis (spreading to distant sites), these tumors are treated more aggressively. Childhood sarcomas are almost always treated with a combination of
surgery and
chemotherapy, and radiation is frequently used as well. The recognition that childhood sarcomas are sensitive to chemotherapy has dramatically improved the survival of patients. For example, in the era before chemotherapy, long term survival for patients with localized osteosarcoma was only approximately 20%, but now has risen to 60-70%.
Types of sarcoma
(
ICD-O codes are provided where available.)
Notable patients
Famous patients include the Soviet mathematician
Nikolai Kochin and Canadian Blues Rock musician,
Jeff Healey.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Sarcoma'.
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