sarcoma
Meaning of sarcoma: Sarcoma is a relatively uncommon cancer arising from connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, fat, or muscle rather than from organ linings.
Definition of sarcoma
Sarcoma is a cancer that develops from connective and supportive tissues of the body, including bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, and blood vessels. This distinguishes it from carcinoma, the more common broad category of cancer that arises from epithelial tissue, the cells that line organ surfaces and body cavities.
Sarcomas are further divided based on the specific tissue involved, such as osteosarcoma arising from bone or liposarcoma arising from fat tissue, and each subtype can differ in how it grows and spreads. Sarcomas can occur almost anywhere in the body, since connective tissue is present throughout.
Because sarcomas are considerably less common than carcinomas, identifying a tumor specifically as a sarcoma, and further classifying which connective tissue it arose from, guides which specialists and treatment approaches are typically involved in a person's care.
Used in a sentence
Biopsy of the thigh mass confirmed a soft tissue sarcoma arising from muscle tissue.
Good to know
Sarcoma arises from connective tissue such as bone, fat, or muscle, distinguishing it from carcinoma, which arises from the epithelial tissue lining organs and body cavities.
Word origin
Where “sarcoma” comes from
Formed from Greek sarx, meaning flesh, and -oma, meaning tumor.