Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Abstract

OverviewSarcomas constitute a heterogeneous group of rare solid tumors of mesenchymal cell origin with distinct clinical and pathological features, and are usually divided into 2 broad categories: sarcomas of soft tissues (including fat, muscle, nerve and nerve sheath, blood vessels, and other connective tissues) and sarcomas of bone.Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are the most frequent sarcomas; the annual incidence in the United States for 2009 is estimated to be approximately 10,660 cases, with an overall mortality rate of approximately 3820 cases per year, including adults and children. 1 The true incidence of sarcoma is underestimated, especially because a large proportion of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) may not