Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center provides expert, comprehensive care for sarcomas—rare and complex cancers that require specialized treatment. Our team includes physicians with extensive experience across multiple fields, such as medical, radiation and surgical oncology, orthopedic oncology, radiology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, and pathology.
The Sarcoma Center offers advanced diagnostic expertise, innovative reconstructive techniques, and access to promising new therapies. The collaboration between Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute brings a comprehensive, team-based approach to treatment. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates to deliver personalized care for both soft tissue and bone sarcomas.
Sarcomas are rare cancers that start in bones or soft tissues, which include muscles, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and the tissue around joints. These connective tissues support, connect and protect different parts of the body. Sarcomas can also begin in organs. Sarcomas represent approximately 1% of all cancers. Approximately 14,000 people are diagnosed with sarcoma each year in the US.
Sarcomas can appear almost anywhere in the body, including the bones, but are most commonly found in the soft tissues of the arms and legs. They may grow near the skin’s surface or deep within muscles.
Sarcomas can develop anywhere in the body, but they are most commonly located in:
Soft tissue sarcomas are rare cancers that begin in the connective tissues, which support and surround bones and organs, or in the organs themselves. These tissues include muscles, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and joint linings. Soft tissue sarcomas represent 1% of all cancers in adults.
These sarcomas are most often found in the arms, legs, trunk, chest wall, breast, head and neck, abdomen, pelvis, and retroperitoneum (the back part of the abdomen), and they can also arise in the internal organs, including intestines. While soft tissue sarcomas can sometimes be painless, they may present as a growing lump. Any new growths should be evaluated by a healthcare provider. Certain types, such as rhabdomyosarcoma, are more common in children.
There are over 70 types of soft tissue sarcomas, some more common in adults and others in children or adolescents. The most common types of soft tissue sarcomas in adults are gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) (cancer arising in the wall of the stomach or intestines), liposarcoma (cancer that starts in fat cells), leiomyosarcoma (cancer that starts in smooth muscle cells such as blood vessels or uterus), and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (cancer in the soft tissue of the arms and legs).
Also known as primary bone cancers because they begin in the bone, bone sarcomas are less common than soft tissue sarcomas but are often easier to detect because they usually cause pain. Each year, about 3,000 to 4,000 people are diagnosed with bone sarcomas, with most cases occurring in children and young adults. However, some types also affect older adults. These cancers can develop in various bones, including the arms, legs, pelvis, spine, ribs and skull.
Primary bone sarcomas start in the bone itself, while metastatic bone cancer begins in another part of the body, such as the lung, kidney, breast, or prostate, and spreads to the bone. When cancer spreads to the skeleton, it can weaken bones, causing pain or fractures and reducing mobility.
Common types of bone sarcoma include:
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