types of sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas develop in any of the body's soft tissue - muscle, fat, blood vessels or in any of the other tissues that support, surround and protect the organs of the body. They are commonly found in the head and neck, genital and urinary areas and the limbs.

There are also bone sarcomas. You can find out more about these in our bone cancer section.

There are many different types of soft tissue sarcomas, but the ones that tend to affect teenagers the most are rhabdomyosarcomas (spoken as 'raab-do-my-o-sarcomas), synovial sarcomas ('sigh-no-ve-al') and fibrosarcomas (fi-bro-sarcomas).


Rhabdomyosarcomas
This is the most common of the soft tissue sarcomas. Rhabdomyosarcomas develop from muscle and their surrounding tissues and can affect any part of the body. They are most likely to occur in the head and neck, bladder or testes, but can sometimes develop in limb muscles, or those found in the chest and around the stomach (abdominal wall). There are two types of rhabdomyosarcomas: embryonal (which is more common in children); and alveolar (al-ve-o-lar) which tends to affect the limbs of teenagers and young adults.

Synovial sarcomas
Usually start near joints such as the knees and elbows,  but they can develop in any part of the body. Joints have synovial fluid around them which keeps the joints moving smoothly. This is held in place around the joint by a membrane - the synovial membrane.

Fibrosarcomas
Think of the tissues that join together key parts of our body - muscles to bones for example. This tissue is known as fibrous tissue. Fibrosarcomas develop in cells called fibrocytes and are usually found in the arms, legs, or trunk, but they can occur deeper in our bodies.

The information in this section covers common types of soft tissue sarcoma, but if you have a different one and want to know more, please contact us.


Last reviewed: 26/06/2008