Sarcoma Awareness Day
Every year on July 13th, Sarcoma Awareness Day aims to increase understanding of sarcoma, a rare and complex group of cancers that can affect bones and soft tissues throughout the body. Despite being uncommon, sarcoma can have a significant impact on a person’s physical function, mobility, emotional wellbeing, and quality of life.
Raising awareness helps improve early recognition of symptoms, encourages timely medical assessment, and highlights the importance of comprehensive care including rehabilitation throughout and after treatment.
What is Sarcoma?
Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that develops in the connective tissues of the body. Connective tissues join together, support or separate other tissues or organs. Examples are bones, cartilage, fat, muscles, membranes, tendons and ligaments. Sarcoma occurs when abnormal cells in these types of tissue grow in an uncontrolled way.
There are more than 70 different subtypes of sarcoma, which are broadly grouped into two main categories:
- Soft tissue sarcomas – cancers that develop in tissues such as muscle, fat, tendons, and ligaments
- Bone sarcomas – cancers that develop in the bone tissue
Sarcomas can occur anywhere in the body but are most commonly found in the arms, legs, pelvis, abdomen, and chest.
How Common is Sarcoma?
Sarcoma is considered a rare cancer, accounting for approximately 1% of all adult cancers and around 15% of childhood cancers. Because sarcoma is uncommon and symptoms can resemble other conditions, diagnosis is sometimes delayed. Increased awareness among the community and healthcare professionals is important to support earlier investigation and treatment.
Signs and Symptoms of Sarcoma
Symptoms of sarcoma can vary depending on where the tumour develops and its size. Some common signs include:
- A new lump or swelling that continues to grow
- A lump that is painful, firm, or feels deep within the body
- Persistent pain that does not improve or has no clear cause
- Reduced movement or function around a joint
- Unexplained fractures or bone pain (in bone sarcoma)
- Abdominal discomfort, bloating, or changes in bowel function (for sarcomas occurring in the abdomen)
A lump should be assessed by a healthcare professional, particularly if it is:
- Increasing in size
- Larger than approximately 5 cm
- Deep beneath the skin
- Painful
- Continuing to grow despite treatment for a suspected injury or benign condition
Early assessment and diagnosis can improve access to appropriate treatment and support.
What Causes Sarcoma?
In most cases, the exact cause of sarcoma is unknown. However, some factors may increase the risk, including:
- Certain inherited genetic conditions
- Previous exposure to radiation therapy
- Some chemical exposures
- Chronic lymphoedema (for specific rare types of sarcoma)
- Previous cancer treatments in some cases
It is important to remember that many people diagnosed with sarcoma do not have any identifiable risk factors.
How is Sarcoma Diagnosed?
Diagnosing sarcoma usually involves several investigations, which may include:
- Physical examination
- Imaging such as ultrasound, MRI, CT or PET scans
- Biopsy to examine a sample of tissue
- Specialist review by a multidisciplinary sarcoma team
One of the aims of these investigations is to distinguish sarcoma from other conditions that can cause soft tissue masses, such as intramuscular myxomas. Myxomas are rare, benign (non-cancerous) connective tissue tumours that can present as a slow-growing soft tissue lump. Although they do not spread to other parts of the body, they can sometimes appear similar to soft tissue sarcomas. Imaging and, in some cases, a biopsy are required to confirm the diagnosis.
Most soft tissue lumps are not cancerous, but all persistent or concerning lumps should be assessed appropriately.
How is Sarcoma Treated?
Because sarcomas are rare and complex, treatment is often coordinated through specialised cancer centres with expertise in sarcoma management. Treatment depends on the type, location, size, and stage of the sarcoma, as well as the person’s overall health. Treatment may include:
Surgery
Surgery is often a key component of sarcoma treatment and aims to remove the tumour while preserving as much tissue as possible. Depending on the location of the sarcoma, surgery may affect muscles, joints, nerves, or lymphatic structures, which can impact movement and daily activities.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy may be used before or after surgery to reduce the risk of sarcoma returning or to help control symptoms.
Chemotherapy and targeted therapies
Some sarcomas respond to chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or other systemic treatments. The approach depends on the specific sarcoma subtype.
The Role of Rehabilitation After Sarcoma Treatment
Rehabilitation is an important part of recovery following sarcoma treatment. Treatment can result in changes to strength, mobility, balance, endurance, pain levels, and confidence with returning to everyday activities.
A personalised rehabilitation program can help address:
Restoring movement and strength
Surgery, particularly involving muscles or joints, can lead to weakness, stiffness, and changes in movement patterns. Physiotherapy can help restore mobility, improve strength, and support a safe return to desired activities.
Managing swelling and lymphoedema
Some sarcoma treatments can affect the lymphatic system, particularly when lymph nodes or surrounding tissues are involved. Rehabilitation includes early identification and management of lymphatic changes to help reduce complications and support long-term lymphatic health.
Managing fatigue and improving fitness
Cancer treatment-related fatigue is common during and after treatment. A structured exercise program is proven to help improve:
- Energy levels
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Muscle strength
- Confidence with movement
- Overall quality of life
Exercise prescription should be individualised and adjusted based on treatment history, symptoms, and goals.
Supporting return to everyday life
Rehabilitation is not only about physical recovery. It also supports returning to work, hobbies, social activities, and the roles that are important to each individual.
Sarcoma Rehabilitation at Hunter Rehab Hub
At Hunter Rehab Hub, we provide individualised rehabilitation services to help people regain strength, improve movement, manage treatment-related side effects, and return to meaningful activities after sarcoma treatment.
Our rehabilitation approach includes:
✔ Individualised exercise programs
✔ Lymphoedema assessment and management
✔ Compression garment assessment and fitting
✔ Scar management and soft tissue techniques
✔ Support throughout survivorship and recovery
Rehabilitation is an important part of cancer care, helping people move forward with confidence after sarcoma treatment.
Living Beyond Sarcoma
A sarcoma diagnosis can bring many physical and emotional challenges, but support is available at every stage of the cancer care journey. Raising awareness of sarcoma helps promote earlier recognition, timely diagnosis, and access to specialist treatment and rehabilitation. With the right multidisciplinary care, many people can regain function, improve quality of life, and confidently return to the activities that matter most to them.
References
American Cancer Society. (2024). Soft tissue sarcoma. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma.html
Campbell, K. L., Winters-Stone, K. M., Wiskemann, J., May, A. M., Schwartz, A. L., Courneya, K. S., Zucker, D. S., Matthews, C. E., Ligibel, J. A., & Schmitz, K. H. (2019). Exercise guidelines for cancer survivors: Consensus statement from international multidisciplinary roundtable. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(11), 2375–2390.
Cancer Council Australia. (2024). Soft tissue sarcoma. https://www.cancer.org.au/types-of-cancer/rare-cancers/soft-tissue-sarcoma
Cancer Council Australia. (2024). Sarcoma – Bone and soft tissue tumours: Guide to best cancer care, diagnosis and treatment. https://www.cancer.org.au/cancercareguides/sarcoma
Clinical Oncology Society of Australia. (2018). Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of cancer-related lymphoedema. Clinical Oncology Society of Australia.
Sarcoma Australia. (2024). What is sarcoma? https://sarcoma.org.au/pages/about-sarcoma
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO classification of tumours: Soft tissue and bone tumours (5th ed.). International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Disclaimer
This content is general in nature and provided for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individualised medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have concerns about symptoms or your health, consult a qualified healthcare professional.
