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• Bone and Soft Tissue Oncology

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Bone and Soft Tissue Oncology

Patient and Family Education

Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Often soft tissue sarcomas do not cause symptoms until after they have started to spread. If they do occur, symptoms are likely to include a new or growing lump anywhere in the body, severe pain the abdomen, and/or blood in the stool or vomit. A child with these symptoms should see a doctor.

If a patient has symptoms of a soft tissue sarcoma, the doctor may order x-rays and other tests. The doctor may also cut out a small piece of tissue and have it looked at under the microscope to see if it contains cancer cells. This procedure, called a biopsy, is the only way to confirm a cancer diagnosis.

The chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment for children with soft tissue sarcoma depend on the type, location, and stage of the tumor and the age, size, stage of development, and general health of the patient.

This page was last updated on: September 21, 2009.

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