Sarcoma Types - Recognize Them and Live Longer

Added: 02/09/2006

Soft tissue sarcoma is a group of malignant neoplasm, originated from primitive embryonic mesoderm. Some sarcomas have cancer origin. Most sarcoma cases appear without warning and without any evident reasons. But there are some risk factors: chemical carcinogen, ionized radiation and heredity. Sarcoma may attack at any age, but mostly in people 40 years old or older and who have very white or pale skin. Sarcoma types depend on the tissue from which it is originated.

Sarcoma is a fairly rare disease. 6000 documented cases have been noted all over the world per a year. Death-rate of people with sarcoma is very high: about a half of patients die. The most common area exposed with sarcoma is lower extremity. Lower extremity sarcoma is met in 40% cases, when head or neck located sarcoma is only in 5%. Men have higher morbidity of sof tissue sarcoma disease than women. The better part of patients that have soft tissue sarcoma are individuals ranging from 30 to 60 years old. Significantly, one third of all individuals affected by the disease are under 30 year old.

Among the usual tumor features, sarcoma types are divided by malignancy grade:

- Low malignancy grade. This grade has such characteristics as high cells differentiation, low content of tumor cells, high content of stroma in sarcoma, small quantity of vessels.

- High malignancy grade. This grade is inverse from low malignancy grade.

Here are the main sarcoma types:

- Alveolar soft tissue sarcoma
- Angiosarcoma
- Liposarcoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Malignant mesenchymoma
- Neurofibrosarcoma, malignant schwannoma
- Synovial sarcoma
- Fibrosarcoma

Usually, sarcoma is described by a slow growth and remains painless for a long period, that's why causeless intumescence should make you go to the hospital for sarcoma review. The most often sarcomas are observed into lungs and nearby lymph nodes.

Soft tissue sarcoma looks like plump node of white or yellowish color with bump or clean surface. Sarcoma may be tight, soft and even jelly-like.

Malignant neoplasm appears in the dip layers of musculature. During tumor growth, it is spread to body surface. Sarcoma's growth increases after injury or physical exercises.

The tumor is usually single, but sometimes multiple tumors happen. The most often localization of metastasis are lungs. Metastasis of lymph nodes is met in 8-10 % cases.

The peculiarity of neoplasm is existence of tumor group, which is intermediate between malignant and benign.

The main sarcoma character is a painless node or circular intumescence uprise. Node size may vary from 2-3 cm to 25-30 cm.

Kaposi's angioreticulosis is multiple sarcomas that are met at 30% of patients that have Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a vascular tumor which is proceeded from a tissue element in the first layer of skin. Symptoms and current are different and depend on sarcoma's duration. Firstly, violet spots on lower extremity appear. Than 2 cm size tight nodes take place. This sarcoma type is met mostly at men.

Uterinercoma is malignant uterine neoplasm. Sarcoma may develop from mucous membranes, muscular and connective tissues, immature vessel elements. In clinical practise accentuate on 2 sarcoma types: uterus leiomyoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, mixed Muller sarcoma and carcinosarcoma.

Leiomyoma is one of the most frequent sarcoma types. It is observed at about 30% of women after 35 year old. Endometrial stromal sarcoma looks like soft polipys with hemorrhage and necrosis. Carcinosarcoma is the most uncommon tumor in the shape of big polypoid nodes of dark-red color.

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