Soft Tissue Cancer Health Center

Soft tissue sarcomas are rare. About 9,500 new cases were diagnosed in the United States in 2006, which is less than 1 percent of all new cancer cases. However, sarcomas occur more often in children and young adults. For example, soft tissue sarcomas account for about 7 percent of all childhood cancers.

The most common soft tissue sarcomas are leiomyosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and liposarcoma. By site of origin, leiomyosarcoma is the most common sarcoma of the organs, while liposarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma are the most common sarcomas of the extremities. Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children.