Sarcomas are rare cancers that arise in the connective tissues, such as muscle, fat, bone and cartilage. This type of cancers occur in any age group, with certain types of sarcoma more commonly found in the pediatric populations as opposed to in adults. Of all adult cancer diagnoses, sarcomas make up 1% of those and there are over 50 different types of sarcoma. The type of sarcoma will be determined by the specific type of cell that makes up the cancer.
Sarcomas can affect any part of the body but are most commonly found in the arms, legs and trunk.
There are two main categories of sarcoma treated in Toronto:
Signs and symptoms may vary depending on the type of sarcoma you may have and the stage of disease. If you have any of the include:
- A lump that can be felt through the skin that may or may not be painful
- Bone pain
- A broken bone that happens unexpectedly, such as with a minor injury or no injury at all
- Abdominal pain
- Weight loss
It should be noted that this is not an exhaustive list of symptoms and at times, in the early stages of tumour growth, many patients are asymptomatic and might become aware of a sarcoma tumour incidentally or after an extensive period of time.
