Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of childhood soft tissue sarcomas.Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma (PDQ®): TreatmentChildhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment

General Information About Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Childhood soft tissue sarcoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in soft tissues of the body.

Soft tissues of the body connect, support, and surround other body parts and organs. The soft tissues include the following:


Muscles.
Tendons (bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones).
Synovial tissues (tissues around joints).
Fat.
Blood vessels.
Lymph vessels.
Nerves.

Soft tissue sarcoma may be found anywhere in the body. In children, the tumors form most often in the arms, legs, or trunk (chest and abdomen).

There are many different types of soft tissue sarcomas.

The cells of each type of sarcoma look different under a microscope. The soft tissue tumors are grouped based on the type of soft tissue cell where they first formed.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of childhood soft tissue sarcoma. It begins in muscles that surround bone. Rhabdomyosarcoma is not discussed in this summary. (See the PDQ summary on Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment for more information.) This summary is about the other types of soft tissue sarcoma: