leiomyosarcoma
Meaning of leiomyosarcoma: Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor arising from smooth muscle cells, most often found in the uterus, abdomen, or retroperitoneum.
Definition of leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that develops from smooth muscle cells, the involuntary muscle found in the walls of the uterus, blood vessels, and much of the digestive tract, among other locations. It can arise almost anywhere in the body that contains smooth muscle, but it is most frequently found in the uterus or within the abdomen and retroperitoneum, the space behind the abdominal cavity.
Because leiomyosarcoma arises from tissue found in many different organs, its symptoms vary considerably depending on where the tumor develops, and it is often discovered only after growing large enough to cause a noticeable mass, pain, or interference with the function of a nearby structure.
Leiomyosarcoma is generally treated with surgical removal when possible, and its behavior and outlook depend heavily on the tumor's size, location, and how far it has spread at the time it is found.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
A biopsy of the abdominal mass confirmed leiomyosarcoma.
Good to know
Leiomyosarcoma is distinguished from the far more common benign smooth muscle tumor called a leiomyoma by its malignant behavior, a distinction confirmed through tissue biopsy rather than by symptoms alone.
Word origin
Where “leiomyosarcoma” comes from
Formed from Greek leios, meaning smooth, myos, meaning muscle, and sarkoma, meaning a fleshy growth, from sarx, meaning flesh.