Sarcoma Cancer (Soft Tissue & Bone)

Sarcomas are cancers that can affect any part of the body, on the inside or outside, including the muscle, bone, tendons, blood vessels and fatty tissues. 

Sarcoma is rare, with only 15 people diagnosed with sarcoma every day in the UK. That’s about 5,300 people a year. 

There are around 100 different subtypes of sarcoma. The two main types of sarcoma are soft tissue sarcoma and bone sarcoma. 

A key symptom of sarcoma is a lump that gets bigger quickly. 

Most people get diagnosed when their sarcoma is about the size of a large tin of baked beans. 

There are many different types of sarcoma. All subtypes of sarcoma can be grouped into soft tissue sarcomas and bone sarcomas. There’s a third group of sarcomas – gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). 

The main symptoms of sarcoma are: 

• A lump which is growing, changing, or bigger than a golf ball 

• Swelling, tenderness or pain in or around the bone which may come and go and may be worse at night 
• Stomach pain, feeling sick, loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food 
• Blood in either your poo or vomit 

It is important to remember most lumps and pains are not sarcomas. 

Sarcomas commonly affect the arms, legs and torso. Sarcomas can also appear in the stomach and intestines as well as behind the abdomen and internal reproductive organs. 

If unsure of any lump, please see your GP. 

To find out more about Sarcoma – www.sarcoma.org.uk