Statistics show that rare types of cancer, such as sarcoma, make up only 1% of all cancer diagnoses. Meaning, approximately 12,000 people are affected by the condition annually in the country. It is important to note that the disease can originate anywhere and affects individuals of all age groups. Soft tissue sarcoma is the most common type, followed by bone sarcoma. And sarcoma of specific organs is the least common of all.

Soft tissue sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma is most common in children and adults. It typically occurs in the arms or legs, and sometimes in the chest or abdomen. In rare cases, it can appear in the head, neck, or inside other organs like the breasts, lungs, stomach, liver, uterus, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys. Soft tissue sarcoma originates in the body’s soft tissues that help connect, support, or surround other body structures. These include muscles, tendons, cartilage, fat, nerves, and blood vessels. Depending on where this originates in the body, it can be classified into the following categories:

• Leiomyosarcoma

  Cancer originating in smooth muscles that line the walls of various organs is Leiomyosarcoma.

• Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)

  GIST is cancer in the intestines’ or gastrointestinal tract’s neuromuscular cells.

• Liposarcoma
  Liposarcoma emerges in fatty tissues, also called adipose tissue, anywhere in the body. These are usually diagnosed as soft lumps in the abdomen, thighs, or knees.
• Angiosarcoma

  It is a vascular sarcoma cancer that forms in the inner lining of blood or lymphatic vessels.

• Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor

  This type of sarcoma forms in nerve cells.

• Fibrosarcoma

  Sarcoma that arises in cells in fibrous tissues surrounding ligaments is fibrosarcoma. These cells are called histiocytes or fibrocytes, and this cancer occurs in the arms or legs.

• Synovial Sarcoma

  Cancer tumors that stem from tissues bordering tendons and joints, especially those around the knees in young adults, is synovial sarcoma. Diagnosed as hard lumps, these can grow quite big over time.

• Rhabdomyosarcoma

  Tumors of the skeletal muscle cells are rhabdomyosarcoma. This cancer commonly affects children more than adults. Albeit rare, it also affects organs such as the bladder or uterus.

Bone sarcoma

Tumors can possibly form in any part of the bone like the cortex, ligaments, cartilage, or bone marrow. These can either be benign or cancerous and mainly affect children and young adults. Cancerous tumors can grow, become metastatic, and spread to other organs in the body. Benign tumors can cause problems of another kind. While they are not as deadly, they can exert pressure on the organs near them and cause discomfort, pain, or blockage when they grow and become huge. A few types of bone sarcoma are:

• Ewing’s sarcoma

  Most often, Ewing’s sarcoma starts in a bone, but it can also originate in soft tissues. These are extra-skeletal and behave uniquely than other types of soft tissue sarcomas. The type is most common in the ribs, upper arm, pelvis, and legs.

• Osteosarcoma

  Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone sarcoma that develops in cells responsible for bone formation, otherwise also called osteoblasts.

• Chondrosarcoma

  When a tumor originates in the cartilage and metastasizes to the bone, it is called chondrosarcoma. It commonly affects middle-aged people and is diagnosed in the shoulders, pelvis, and upper leg.

• Chordoma

  This rare bone sarcoma can start along the spine, especially in adults over 30. It can appear anywhere, starting from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Chordoma is a malignant tumor that grows into the bones and affects soft tissues around them, causing their destruction.