Sarcoma: Key Points

Incidence:

Sarcomas are rare tumours

Soft tissue sarcoma : approx 1000 p.a. UK
Primary bone tumours : approx 400 p.a. UK

Soft Tissue Sarcoma

• Can occur at any age – more common over 30 years.
• Most soft tissue masses are benign (only 1 in 200 are malignant).
• Features of a soft tissue mass which are suggestive of malignancy include:
• Size > 5 cms
• Painful
• Increasing in size
• Deep to fascia
• Recurrence after previous excision

Lumps which are superficial and painless and less than 5 cms and static in size are extremely unlikely to be malignant.

Primary bone tumours

Includes : Osteosarcoma, Ewing’s Sarcoma and Chondrosarcoma

• Most common in adolescents
• 50% arise around the knee
• Symptoms include pain which is typically non-mechanical, waking the patient at night
• Bony swelling and limps are usually late features
• Most are diagnosed radiographically