What does sarcoma mean?
A sarcoma is a malignant tumor that develops from mesenchymal tissues, the supporting tissues of the body. This includes bone, skeletal muscle, fat, blood vessels, cartilage, and connective tissue. Sarcoma is not the name of one specific disease but a broad category encompassing several distinct forms of cancer, such as Ewing sarcoma and soft-tissue sarcoma. The word is primarily used in medical and oncology contexts, where it is distinguished from a benign tumor and from carcinomas, which arise from epithelial tissues. Diagnosis generally involves imaging, examination of a tissue sample, and specialized pathological testing because many sarcoma subtypes resemble one another microscopically. The word comes from Greek, where it originally referred to a fleshy growth, an association preserved in its modern medical meaning. Although sarcomas are uncommon relative to carcinomas, they can be clinically significant because some subtypes are aggressive and require specialized treatment.
nounA malignant tumor arising from mesenchymal tissues such as bone, muscle, fat, blood vessels, or connective tissue. Sarcomas are a broad group of cancers and include types such as Ewing sarcoma and soft-tissue sarcoma.
- A malignant tumor originating in mesenchymal or connective tissues, including bone, muscle, fat, blood vessels, and related structures.
"The biopsy revealed a sarcoma in the soft tissue of her thigh."
"Her oncologist explained that the growth was a sarcoma and had not yet spread beyond the surrounding tissue."
"Researchers are testing a targeted therapy for a rare form of sarcoma in children."
The standard plural adds -s. Sarcoma is also used attributively in names such as soft-tissue sarcoma.
"Several sarcomas respond poorly to conventional chemotherapy."
Unlike the carcinomas that arise from epithelial tissues, sarcomas begin in bones, muscles, fat, blood vessels, or other connective tissues.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sarcoma come from?
Sarcoma comes from Greek σάρκωμα (sárkōma), meaning a fleshy growth or tumor. It was formed from σάρξ or σαρκός (sárx or sarkós), meaning flesh, with the suffix -ōma. The same Greek root for flesh underlies words such as sarcophagus and sarcoplasm.
Related word forms
How sarcoma is actually used
The term is chiefly medical and denotes a large, heterogeneous category of malignant tumors. In general usage, it is much less common than the broader term cancer, while carcinomas form a separate category of cancers arising from epithelial tissues.