Sarcoma
A sarcoma is a cancerous tumor that appears in the connective tissues of the body. This includes the bones, muscles, cartilage, fats, nerves, blood vessels and skin tissue. There are many different types of sarcomas, but they are typically classified as either bone sarcoma or soft tissue sarcoma.
Bone and soft tissue sarcoma care across the Wasatch Front
The expert oncologists at MountainStar Healthcare specialize in the detection and diagnosis of extremity tumors—referred to as sarcomas.
If cancer is detected, our HCA Healthcare Sarah Cannon Cancer Network team of multidisciplinary care providers gives access to advanced treatment for many types of sarcoma, including bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
Call AskSARAH: (844) 482-4812
Free medical information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free medical information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
What is a sarcoma?
Sarcoma refers to any cancerous tumor within the body's connective tissue. It is divided into two main groups:
- Bone sarcomas—tumors in the bone
- Soft tissue sarcomas—tumors in the muscle, cartilage, nerves, fat, blood vessels and deep skin tissue
Diagnosing sarcomas
Diagnosing a sarcoma may look different for each patient as signs and symptoms may present differently depending on the type of sarcoma that is present. Most often, our doctors will use imaging exams to view the bones and soft tissues.
These can include:
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Ultrasound
If your doctor suspects a sarcoma is present, they may recommend a biopsy of the area to determine if the cells are cancerous.
Types of sarcoma
Because sarcomas can develop in many different areas of the body, there are many kinds of sarcoma, including:
- Angiosarcoma—develops from cells that make up the walls of blood vessels
- Chondrosarcoma—a bone sarcoma that develops in cartilage cells
- Ewing's sarcoma—a bone sarcoma that commonly affects young adults in the thigh bone and shin bone
- Fibroblastic sarcoma—develops in the fibrous tissues of the body
- Leiomyosarcoma—develops in the smooth muscle cells
- Liposarcoma—develops from the fat cells in the body
- Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST)—develops in the cells that cover nerves
- Rhabdomyosarcoma—develops in the skeletal or voluntary muscles of the body
- Synovial sarcoma—develops in cells around the joints and tendons
Treatment for sarcomas
Our doctors use the following to treat sarcomas: