From MayoClinic.com

Sarcoma comes from a Greek word meaning "fleshy growth." Soft tissue sarcomas share similar characteristics, produce similar symptoms and are treated similarly. Bone sarcomas have different characteristics from soft tissue sarcomas.

Sarcomas are cancers that originate either in your bones or in the soft tissues of your body. Soft tissues connect, support and surround other body structures.

They include muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and the lining of your joints (synovial tissues). A large variety of cancers can occur in the bones and in numerous soft tissues.

Soft tissue sarcomas aren't common, accounting for less than 1 percent of new cancer cases. This type of cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. About one in 10 soft tissue sarcomas affects children and adolescents.

Not all sarcomas are cancerous (malignant). Some are noncancerous (benign). For both bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas, treatment depends on the type of sarcoma, what part of your body the cancer affects, and the size and stage of the cancer.

Signs and symptoms

Pain is the most common symptom of bone sarcomas. Although bone cancer can arise in any of your body's 206 bones, it most frequently occurs in the long bones of your arms and legs.

Other possible signs and symptoms of bone sarcoma include:

• Weakened bones, sometimes leading to fractures

• Joint swelling and tenderness (for tumors in or near joints)

• Fatigue

• Fever

• Weight loss

• Anemia

• fatigue

• fever

Soft tissue sarcomas can occur anywhere in your body, but the largest percentage — about half — occur in the arms, legs, hands or feet. Another 40 percent occur in the trunk, which includes the chest, back, hips, shoulders and abdomen. About 10 percent are found in the head and neck. Soft tissue sarcomas usually produce no signs and symptoms in the early stages. As a tumor in soft tissue grows, it may produce a lump or swelling. Later it may cause pain if it presses on nerves or muscles.

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