Sarcoma
Sarcoma (from ancient Greek σάρκωμα sárkoma, to σάρξ sárx, "flesh", "soft tissue", and -om "lump"), formerly also called flesh growth, is a malignant growth of cancerous character that originates in mesenchymal tissue and metastasizes early to blood vessels (hematogenous).
Together with the malignant tumours of the mantle epithelium (carcinoma) and the diseases of the blood and bone marrow (leukaemia and lymphoma), sarcomas belong to the group of malignant tumours (cancers). Sarcomas are much rarer than carcinomas and account for only about 1% of all malignancies in humans. The exact origin of sarcomas is the connective and supporting tissue (bone, cartilage and fatty tissue) or muscle tissue.
Sarcomas are divided into about 100 different entities according to the current WHO classification. These differ according to their (partly) suspected cell lineage, their molecular genetic alterations, their morphology and their biology. However, the exact classification of a sarcoma into the appropriate diagnostic group is of great importance for further treatment, as the individual entities have a different risk of recurrence and metastases. Sarcomas metastasize predominantly by the blood route. Two broad groups can be distinguished: Sarcomas of the skeletal system and sarcomas of the soft tissue. In addition, there are carcinosarcomas, i.e. mixed tumours that contain both malignant epithelial cells (=carcinoma) and malignant mesenchymal cells (=sarcoma). This includes, for example, the malignant mesodermal mixed tumor of the uterus or ovary, also called Mueller's mixed tumor. In extremely dedifferentiated carcinomas, the histological picture is similar to a sarcoma. One speaks, for example, of sarcomatoid renal cell carcinomas. However, molecular biology can prove that these are epithelial tumours, i.e. carcinomas.
Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen of a dog, surgical site
Human skull with extensive damage from a sarcoma (Hunterian Museum, Glasgow)
Sarcomas of the skeletal system
- Chondrosarcoma
- Ewing's Sarcoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Chordom
- Adamantinoma
Sarcomas of the soft tissues
- Angiosarcoma
- Fibrosarcoma
- Liposarcoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Hemangiopericytoma
- Neurogenic sarcoma
- Kaposi's Sarcoma
- Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
- Leiomyosarcoma
According to the involvement of the blood vessels, soft tissue sarcomas can be classified according to Schwarzbach, according to the involvement of the nerves according to Sweiti/Schwarzbach.
