Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) comprising 1% of adult malignancies yearly are considered to be an unusual tumor group due to their different biological behaviors and abundance of histological subtypes. Median presentation age is 50–55 years, and 5-year survival rate for all stages and sites is 50–60%. Approximately 80% of sarcomas are STS, and the remainders arise from bone. There are no clear predisposing factors for STS development. Environmental factors such as exposure to radiation and immunologic and familial factors are commonly cited risk factors. Sarcomas are mesoderm-mesenchyme-originated malignant tumors with more than 50 histologic subtypes. Differentiation, mitotic activity, and extent of necrosis parameters are important determinants of grading, which is highly predictive for local recurrence, distant spread, and survival. Basic concepts that are crucial to understanding soft tissue sarcoma are reviewed in depth in this chapter.