Sarcoma is relatively rare in adults, but is one of the most common types of cancer in children; often spreads to other tissues in the body. Sarcomas are generally divided into bone tumors and soft tissue tumors, the latter being much less common.

Mesenchymal cells form a variety of mature tissues, so tumors may have bone characteristics (osteosarcoma), cartilage (chondrosarcoma), muscle (myosarcoma) or blood vessels (angiosarcoma). Osteosarcoma, which is also the most common type of primary bone cancer, is a form of immature bone cancer (osteoid). The survival rate at five years for people with osteosarcoma that has spread (metastasized) to other regions of the body is 15-30%.

Sarcomas are cancers that develop in connective tissues, including bones, cartilage, muscles, tendons, fibrous tissues, veins, arteries, nerves, fatty tissues. Approximately half of the sarcomas occur in the limbs, and half appear in the head and neck area, internal organs or behind the abdominal cavity (retroperitoneal).

Types of Sarcomas

Sarcomas are divided into two main types: soft tissue sarcoma and bone cancers.

There are approximately 50 different types of soft tissue sarcomas, including liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, angiosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, stromal gastrointestinal tumors, and others.

They are further classified in many other sarcoma subtypes. Sarcoma subtypes are referred to on the basis of the surrounding tissues, the affected area or the type of cells from which the tumor originates.