July is Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month
join with the aacr to find better ways to prevent and treat sarcoma and bone cancer
Sarcomas are a rare group of cancers in which malignant cells form in the bones or soft tissues of the body.
Soft tissue sarcomas form in cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, tendons, nerves, and around joints. Osteosarcomas develop in bone; liposarcomas form in fat. Rhabdomyosarcomas form in muscle, and Ewing sarcomas form in bone and soft tissue.
Bone and joint cancer is most frequently diagnosed among teenagers. Soft tissue cancers typically affect those 55 years or older.
In 2024, approximately 13,590 cases of soft tissue sarcoma and approximately 3,970 cases of bone and joint cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States. That is according to estimates from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). Some 5,200 and 2,050 people are expected to die from soft tissue and bone sarcomas, respectively. The five-year survival rate for soft tissue sarcomas is 65.9 percent. The survival rate for bone and joint sarcomas is 68.2 percent
Because sarcomas are difficult to distinguish from other cancers when they are found within organs, their incidence is probably underestimated, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Having certain inherited disorders can increase the risk for soft tissue sarcomas. These include retinoblastoma, tuberous sclerosis, Werner syndrome, and nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Other risk factors for soft tissue sarcomas include past treatment with radiation therapy for certain cancers; exposure to certain chemicals, such as thorium dioxide, vinyl chloride, or arsenic; and long-term lymphedema in the arms or legs.
Past treatment with radiation can increase the risk of osteosarcoma and other types of bone cancers. Other risk factors for osteosarcoma include treatment with anticancer drugs called alkylating agents. Having a certain change in the retinoblastoma gene is also a risk factor. So is having certain conditions including Paget disease, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, and Werner syndrome.
One Young Woman’s Story
Alexis Browning of Lexington, Kentucky, was only 24 years old when she was diagnosed with stage IV alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS). An 18-centimeter tumor was wrapped around her right femur. After a “miracle procedure” to remove the tumor and relieve her pain, she has been taking atezolizumab to deal with the metastatic disease. She credits “an amazing village of supporters who love me” and help her keep going.
“On days when I just do not have any grace to give, they help me find little moments of comfort and joy in the mundane and in the darkness,” she says. Read her story in the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2023.
More on sarcoma and bone cancer
- Researchers are examining ways to develop more targeted treatments by improving sarcoma tumor profiling, nanomedicine delivery, and T-cell therapy. To learn more, read Profiling Sarcomas—The Search for a Matching Therapy on Cancer Research Catalyst, the AACR blog..
- Immunotherapy and targeting of gene expression are among other treatments being studied for sarcoma. Read more on Cancer Research Catalyst: Hard-hitting Therapies for Soft Tissue Cancers: New Treatment Approaches for Sarcomas
- Julie Kramer was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma at age 23. On Believe In Progress: An AACR Foundation Podcast, she talks about the transformative power of community support and holistic practices like Reiki and yoga.
What the AACR Is Doing in Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Research
The AACR is supporting sarcoma research through these recent fellowships and grants:
- AACR-QuadW Foundation Sarcoma Research Fellowship in Memory of Willie Tichenor to Erica M. Pimenta, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: “IGF1 loss as a molecular driver of liposarcoma de-differentiation.” (2024)
- AACR-Novocure Career Development Award for Cancer Research to Christopher A. Alvarez-Breckenridge, MD, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center: “Tumor treating field modulation of metastatic bone tumor microenvironment.” (2023)
- AACR Fellowship to Further Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cancer Research to Madelyn Espinosa-Cotton, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: “Bispecific antibody-based immunotherapy and radioimmunotherapy for desmoplastic small round cell tumors.” (2023)
- AACR-D-Team Sarcoma Research Fellowship to Rachel Offenbacher, MD, at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore: “Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment to Treat Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma.” (2023)
- AACR-D-Team Sarcoma Research Fellowship to Chen Khuan Wong, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: “Dissecting MYC-mediated tumorigenesis and plasticity in angiosarcoma.” (2023)
- AACR-QuadW Foundation Sarcoma Research Fellowship in Memory of Willie Tichenor to Tiffany C. Eng, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital: “Identifying drivers of elevated clonality and relapse in rhabdomyosarcoma.” (2023)
for more information
For more information on sarcoma in adults, please see our page on soft tissue sarcoma.
For more information on sarcoma in children and adolescents, please see our page on childhood soft tissue sarcoma.
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