Reviewed February 2007
Bone & Connective Tissue Sarcomas
Sarcomas are growths which come from primitive cells seen in the human embryo. These cells have the ability to turn into the so-called connective tissues of the body; the tumours are named for the tissue type which they most resemble, e.g. Tumours which resemble bone-producing cells are called osteosarcoma; those looking like fat cells are called liposarcoma.
Many other types of sarcomas have descriptive names because they do not resemble any specific cell type - alveolar soft parts tumour or Phylloides tumours of breast or prostate. Sarcomas can occur in any part of the body and in total make up less than 1% of all cancers.
Sarcomas are divided into two main groups because of similarities in presentation and in treatment:
I. Sarcomas of the bone, bone marrow, and cartilage*
II. Soft tissue sarcomas
(*Myelomas, leukemias and lymphomas (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's) are cancers of the bone marrow, which are discussed in their own sections.
Bone cancers that didn't start in the bone are considered under the section dealing with the type of cancer that was first diagnosed - e.g. breast cancer spread (or metastasized) to the bone is discussed in the breast cancer section)