Soft Tissue Sarcoma Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Soft tissue sarcomas are tumors that arise from the soft tissues of the body. Soft tissue itself is defined as tissue that serves to connect structures and organs of the body, including muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and fat.
There are 50 different types of sarcomas. However, the most common types of sarcoma encountered are undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (formerly malignant fibrous histiocytoma ), liposarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma.
Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare type of tumor, accounting for only 1% of cases in adults and approximately 7–10% in children and young adults.
Although it can affect almost any part of the body, soft tissue sarcomas generally affect the arms, legs, and abdomen. Complaints due to this disease will usually be felt by the sufferer after the tumor starts to grow or a lump appears in the affected area.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma Symptom
Complaints that arise in soft tissue sarcoma depend on the location of the tumor. However, the signs that often arise are:
- Painless lump
- Sarcomas in the abdominal cavity can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding and obstruction to the flow of food
- Sarcoma pressure on nerves can cause sensory or motor nerve disturbances
Soft Tissue Sarcoma Reason
The cause of soft tissue sarcoma is currently unknown. Several factors are associated with the incidence of sarcoma are:
- Radiation. A person can experience sarcoma as a result of radiation that is being undergone for the treatment of other tumors.
- Certain chemicals. Exposure to various chemicals can increase the risk of developing sarcoma. Several types of chemicals associated with the incidence of sarcoma are herbicides, asbestos, and arsenic.
- Genetic predispositions such as Gardner’s syndrome, von Recklinghausen type 1 neurofibromatosis and hereditary retinoblastoma. Damage to the TP53 gene can cause Li Fraumeni syndrome, which increases the risk of sarcoma.
Diagnosis
Determining the diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma can be done by doing the following:
- Medical interview and physical examination. In the early stages of the disease, sarcoma does not cause significant symptoms, so sufferers often do not immediately see a doctor.
Diagnosis of sarcoma in its early stages is difficult because it is often painless and the tumor is located in the body. However, sarcomas can occur in easily visible locations such as the extremities. Tumors in the extremities can cause lumps that limit body movement.
- Computed Tomography Scan (CT- scan ). A CT scan can provide data about the shape and size of the tumor and its relationship to surrounding tissues.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for extremity sarcomas. This exam can give a detailed picture of the muscles and differentiate between bone, vascular structures, and tumors.
- Tissue biopsy. There are several techniques for taking tissue, for example core-needle biopsy, incisional biopsy, and excisional biopsy. These various biopsy techniques can be performed to extract enough tissue for use in a number of diagnostic tests – such as electron microscopy, cytogenetics and flow cytometry.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment
There are several treatment options for soft tissue sarcoma, namely:
- Surgery. The type of surgery is determined by several factors, including tumor location, tumor size, and involvement of surrounding structures.
- Radiotherapy. Radiotherapy can be considered as an adjunct to surgery.
- Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy before surgery can also be considered for patients with large tumors to reduce tumor size.
Prevention
The way to prevent soft tissue sarcoma that can be done is to avoid exposure to risk factors for sarcoma. For example radiation exposure and exposure to certain chemicals. Unfortunately, most of the sarcomas arise without clear risk factors.