Sarcoma
About 235* people are diagnosed each year in Ireland with some type of sarcoma.
Signs and symptoms
Learn about the signs and symptoms of sarcoma. You are more likely to survive cancer if you find it at an earlier stage.
Treatment
There are a number of different treatments available for sarcoma. Your medical team will explain the best treatment options for you.
What is sarcoma?
Sarcomas are rare malignant (cancerous) tumours which affect bone, cartilage or soft tissues (muscle, nerves and fat).
The most common type of sarcoma is soft tissue sarcoma. 4 out of 5 sarcomas are found in these tissues. More than half of soft tissue sarcomas are found in the leg, although sarcomas can affect any part of your body.
About 235 people are diagnosed each year in Ireland with some type of sarcoma.
More information on the types of sarcoma is available here.
Sarcoma Cancer Ireland has information on sarcoma and it runs support groups. Visit www.sarcoma.ie
What increases my risk of sarcoma?
The causes of most sarcomas are unknown. Risk factors that can increase your chance of developing sarcoma include:
If you had retinoblastoma (an eye cancer) as a child or neurofibromatosis type 1 (a condition that causes the growth of benign and malignant tumours) you may have an increased risk of developing sarcoma.
If you have had previous radiotherapy, you might have a higher risk. Very rarely, a sarcoma might develop many years after treatment.
Note: Accurate data about the actual diagnosed number of cases of sarcoma is hard to find. This is because cancer is reported as the area of the body where the cancer is found (site of origin). Sarcomas can appear almost anywhere on or in the body and many are only found after investigations for a condition which seems unconnected with cancer.
Medical content updated from our 'Understanding sarcoma' booklet (2024), reviewed by Prof Charles Gillham, Consultant Radiation Oncologist; Prof Mark Doherty, Consultant Medical Oncologist; Prof Alan Molloy, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon; Hazel Murray, Advanced Nurse Practitioner; Una Hayden, Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
Publications about sarcoma
Talk to a Cancer Nurse
Support Line
Our Daffodil Centres
*The Irish Cancer Society uses the most up-to-date cancer statistics from the National Cancer Registry Ireland, available on www.ncri.ie
