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Soft tissue tumors

Soft tissue tumors – all non-epithelial tumors except for tumors of the reticuloendothelial system. Soft tissues called all anatomical structures, which are located between the bones of the skeleton and skin. These include smooth muscle, synovial tissue, intermuscular fat layer, subcutaneous fat, striated muscle.

According to statistics, malignant soft tissue tumors in General of the brain of a human is about 1%. So, per 100,000 people Russian Federation, the incidence is on average at 2.3% (data from 2007). The number of men and women with malignant tumors of the soft tissues in the same way. Age statistics of the disease, as a rule, no, but most often soft tissue tumors are diagnosed in people after the age of 25. Mostly they are localized on the limbs or on the thigh.

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Classification of soft tissue tumors

Classification of soft tissue tumors of malignant nature as follows:

  • Liposarcoma – a tumor that affects the fatty tissue. Divided into low - and vysokomehanizirovannoe of the tumor, as well as isolated mixed type tumors.
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma – a tumor that affects the muscle tissue. This tumor may be spindle cell, giant cell, and mixed.
  • Leiomyosarcoma – a tumor that affects the muscle tissue. Tumors can be round-cell or spindle-shaped cells.
  • Hemangiosarcoma – a tumor that affects blood vessels. The tumor consists to Kaposi's sarcoma, hemangiopericytoma and hemangioendothelioma.
  • Lymphangiosarcoma – a tumor that affects the lymphatic vessels.
  • Fibrosarcoma – a tumor that affects connective tissue. Neoplasms are subdivided into spindle cell and round-cell tumor.
  • Synovial sarcoma – a tumor that affects the synovial membrane. Tumors areround-cell and spindle cell.

  • Sarcomas of neural tissue. Distinguish neurogenic sarcoma, neuroma, schwannoma, ganglioneuroblastoma, simpatoblastome.

  • Cm bruise the skin and are just like neuroma, tumors of ectodermal etiology.

Causes of soft tissue tumors

The reason of occurrence of tumours of the soft tissues following:

  • Causes of soft tissue tumors in more than 50% due to previous trauma.
  • Often there is the process of malignancy of a tumour in which the benign tumor into a malignant transformirovalsya.
  • The formation of a tumor from scar tissue. Thus often shaped fibrosarcoma.
  • Disease Reklingauzena in some cases becomes a cause of formation of neuromas.
  • Another risk factor is radiation exposure of the body.
  • Perhaps the development of soft tissue tumors on the background of previous pathologies of the bones.
  • Multiple soft tissue tumors are a manifestation of disease, inherited, for example, tuberous sclerosis.
  • It is not excluded genetic mechanisms that contribute to the development of soft tissue tumors.
  • In medical literature there are assumptions about what is soft tissue sarcoma, can occur after viral infections, however, clear evidence of this theory is not yet provided.

In General, the reasons for the development of soft tissue tumors at the present time little is known. The generally accepted thesis is only that most often precedes malignant neoplasm of soft tissue injury.

The symptoms of soft tissue tumors

Symptoms of soft tissue tumors most often because they don't give a bright clinical picture. Patients go to the doctor often regarding independently determined subcutaneous tumors.

Other symptoms of soft tissue tumors can be:

  • Tumor for a long time is painless, does not destroy the limbs and internal organs, no worries man. In this regard, access to medical care is nothappening.

  • The patient can contact the doctor with a complaint of neuralgia, ischemia or other violations that occur as a result of pressure of the tumor on the nerve or vessel. It depends on its location.

  • As the progression of the disease, loss of body weight, may develop fever. The person begins to suffer from severe weakness, which is not able to explain.
  • The skin is violated, as a rule, large tumors. Most often this manifests itself in the pitting of the skin.
  • The tumour consistency firm and elastic, though sometimes it's possible to detect soft spots. If any, most often it indicates a process of disintegration of the tumor.

You should specifically consider the most striking symptoms of soft tissue tumors of various types:

  • The symptoms of synovial sarcoma. The most frequently diagnosed tumor of soft tissue is synovial sarcoma, which affects people of all ages. It is located most often near joints or bones of the hands and feet, and is manifested by painful sensations. Its consistency may be varied – elastic (in the formation within the tumor is cystic cavities) and solid (subject to postponement in the tumor of calcium).
  • Symptoms of liposarcoma. Liposarcoma can occur on any area of the body where there is fatty tissue. Her favorite place of localization is the thigh. The borders of the tumor are blurred, but it is well palpated. This is a leading symptom of a tumor. The growth of tumors slow, it rarely gives metastases.
  • Symptoms of rhabdomyosarcoma. The tumor more often affects men after the age of 40 years. The tumor becomes palpable inside the muscles and is a tight stationary knot. Pain for this type of tumor is not typical. A favorite place of its localization is the neck, limbs, pelvis and head.
  • The symptoms of cm. This kind of tumor prefers the muscles of the limbs and trunk. Is hilly neoplasm with a relative mobility. A node may have an oval or circular shape. Often formed tumor in women, reaches a large size, while the skin is rarely ulcerate.

  • The symptoms of leiomyosarcoma. This tumor is diagnosed infrequently, most often affects the uterus. Manifested in the later stages of development and refers to the so-called "silent tumors". Detect a tumor in the provision of assistance duringuterine bleeding, which is often complicated by suppuration.

  • The symptoms of angiosarcoma. It is a collective term for malignant tumors of the blood vessels. Tumors often have a soft texture, do not hurt when pressing on them. These tumors are located in deep layers of soft tissue.
  • The symptoms of neuroma. Because neuromas are striking the nerve fibers, the process of their formation and development in 50% of cases accompanied by pain and other disorders of the nervous system. These tumors grow slowly, often located on the thighs and on the calves.

Other malignant tumors develop very rarely, and the main symptom is the appearance of palpable subcutaneous tumors.


Diagnosis of soft tissue tumors

Diagnosis of tumors of the soft tissues begins with the palpation of education and its inspection. Mandatory patient sent for x-rays of the lesion and histological examination of the tumor.

X-ray gives information in the presence of solid tumors. The doctor gets information on the interdependence of the tumor with adjacent bones of the skeleton.

Performing angiography allows to define a system of tumor blood supply, provides accurate information about its location.

MRI and CT allow to clarify the prevalence of cancer process. Informative these two kinds of instrumental diagnostics in obtaining information about tumors located on the trunk and their germination into other organs.

Aspiration biopsy is performed to collect tumor tissues to further conduct cytological studies. This method allows to judge the nature of the cancer process.


Treatment of soft tissue tumors

Treatment of soft tissue tumors is based on three methods – a surgical intervention, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Often these methods are combined to achieve the best effect. Priority remains surgical removal of malignant tumors.

Since almost all soft tissue tumors are prone to recurrence, surgery is usually performed with the radical complete excision of the tumor surrounding tissues. Amputation and assertequal perform in that case, if the tumor can't excise from soft tissues because of its germination andmetastasis.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are used in the case, if diagnosed type of tumor is to these methods of treatment sensitive. So, radiation exposure is responsive rhabdomyosarcoma, angiosarcoma. Neuroma, cm and liposarcomas are tumors of low sensitivity to chemo - and radiotherapy.

Forecast for five-year survival rate depends on the type of tumor, age of the patient, the stage of the disease, etc. the Most unfavorable prognosis in synovial sarcoma (5-year survival does not exceed 40%). The rest of the tumor for successful operations have a higher threshold of survival.