Dr. Francisco Bengoa
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Soft-tissue tumors

Angiosarcoma of soft tissue

Soft tissueMalignant / sarcomaVascular tumours

Epidemiology

An aggressive vascular sarcoma of adults that can arise in the skin, soft tissue, an irradiated breast, or chronic lymphedema. With a history of radiotherapy or chronic lymphedema, a persistent purplish plaque or mass must be investigated promptly.

Basic features

It can present as a bruise, a purplish plaque, a deep mass, or bleeding, and it often grows in an infiltrative way. Cases that arise over an irradiated area or with chronic lymphedema tend to show amplification of the MYC gene, a feature that helps confirm them.

Usual treatment

It requires multidisciplinary management with surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment depending on the site and extent.

Outcomes and prognosis

It has a high risk of recurrence and metastasis and an unfavorable prognosis, so it needs prompt diagnosis and close follow-up.

Warning signs

These signs do not necessarily mean cancer, but they warrant evaluation before operating on or needling a mass.

  • A soft-tissue mass that grows, is larger than 5 cm, or is deep.
  • Persistent, night-time or progressive bone pain, especially if it limits activity.
  • A fracture from minimal trauma, or an aggressive bone lesion on an X-ray.
  • A lump that comes back after previous surgery.
  • Neurological symptoms, rapid swelling, or pain associated with a mass.

This information is general and does not replace a medical evaluation. A musculoskeletal tumor must be interpreted together with imaging, physical examination, biopsy when appropriate and each patient's context.

Specialist evaluation

If you have a mass, a bone lesion or a report suggesting a tumor, book an evaluation.

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