Types of Sarcoma

January 22, 2026

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Lee Cranmer, M.D., Ph.D., professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte.

There are more than 100 subtypes of sarcoma, a type of tumor that starts to grow in the bone or soft tissues. The soft tissues include the muscle, cartilage, fat and blood vessels, as well as other connective or supportive tissues.

Each subtype has a different name, depending on where the cancer forms in the body and its features. Even some sarcomas that are of the same subtype may actually represent different diseases.

Imaging tests and biopsies may aid in the diagnosis of the type of sarcoma.

Main Sarcoma Subtypes

There are two main types of sarcomas: soft tissue sarcomas and bone sarcomas. Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that begin in muscles, tendons, lymph and blood vessels, fat and nerves. The most common sites include the arms, legs, abdomen and chest.

There are several types of sarcomas that start in the bone (also called “primary bone cancer”), including chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas begin in the soft tissues, such as the lymph and blood vessels, muscles, tendons, fat and nerves. They are more common than sarcomas of the bone. The first sign of soft tissue sarcoma that a person may notice is swelling or a lump that they are able to feel. In fact, the word “sarcoma” comes from a Greek word meaning, “fleshy mass,” which is a good description of a sarcoma.

There are many types of soft tissue sarcomas, including:

• Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (tumors that grow in the stomach, small intestine or large intestine), also known as GIST tumors
• Liposarcoma (tumors that form in fatty tissue)
• Leiomyosarcoma (tumors that form in the muscle that makes up the intestine or other parts of the body)
• Kaposi sarcoma (tumors that form in the skin, lining of the nose, mouth and throat, lymph nodes and other tissues)
• Rhabdomyosarcoma (sarcomas that form from skeletal muscle tissue)
• Uterine sarcoma (tumors that grow in the uterus or tissues supporting the uterus)

Bone Cancer

Sarcomas that begin in a person’s bone are also known as primary bone cancers. Some types of primary bone cancers include:

• Osteosarcoma (tumors that begin in bone-forming cells)
• Chondrosarcoma (tumors that begin in cartilage, the tissue that lines joints and covers the ends of bones)
• Ewing sarcoma (tumors that may begin in bones or other parts of the body and have very specialized treatment)
• Chordoma (tumors that form in the bones at the bottom of the skull or in the spine in the pelvis).

Are All Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors Cancerous?

No, not all tumors found in the bone and soft tissues are cancer. They may be malignant (cancerous), intermediate (cancerous but not as aggressive) or benign (non-cancerous).

What determines if a disease is cancerous is whether the disease can spread to distant parts of the body. If it can do so, it is by definition, cancer.

Tumors are cells that are growing inappropriately to form a mass. A tumor may or may not be cancerous. Some benign, non-cancerous tumors may change at a later time into something that is cancer. Other benign tumors do not do this. Benign tumors may still cause serious symptoms for some patients, and therefore may need specialized treatment.

When a soft tissue or bone tumor is found to be malignant, it is classified as a type of sarcoma. There are more than 100 types of soft tissue sarcomas, including:

• Adult fibrosarcoma (cancer of the fibrous tissue of the trunk, arms or legs)
• Angiosarcoma (cancer of the lymph or blood vessels)
• Epithelioid sarcoma (cancer of the tissues under the skin)
• Synovial sarcoma (an unusual form of cancer sometimes found)

Intermediate soft tissue tumors tend to grow into surrounding tissues and are less likely to spread to other parts of the body. These tumors may have traits of both malignant and benign tumors. Intermediate soft tissue tumors are often slow-growing and sometimes become more cancerous over time. Examples of intermediate soft tissue tumors include:

• Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (slow-growing tumors in tissue beneath the skin)
• Fibromatosis (fibrous tissue tumors with features in between fibrosarcoma and fibroma)
• Hemangioendothelioma (slow-growing cancer of the blood vessels)
• Infantile fibrosarcoma (the most common soft tissue sarcoma in babies)
• Solitary fibrous tumors (benign or cancerous tumors that may start in the thigh, underarm, pelvis or pleura of the lungs)

Benign soft tissue tumors and bone tumors are not cancer. They do not have the ability to spread to distant parts of the body. Sometimes, they require no treatment at all. Other times, they require treatment, often with surgery. Sometimes, although they are not cancer, they may require complex treatments, which may have a significant effect on someone’s life. Some examples of tumors that are not cancerous (benign) include:

• Elastofibromas, fibromas and fibrous histiocytomas (which grow in fibrous tissue)
• Glomus tumors and hemangiomas (which grow in blood vessels)
• Hibernomas, lipomas, lipoblastomas (which grow in fatty tissue)
• Neuromas or neurofibromas (benign tumors in nerve tissue)
• Leiomyomas (benign smooth muscle tumors commonly found in the uterus)
• Bone cysts (benign, fluid-containing structures in bones that may need to be distinguished from cancerous changes in the bone)
• Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (benign tumor of the lining of joints that may interfere with the function of the joints)

Diagnostic tests help doctors determine if tumors are benign, intermediate or malignant and advise their patients regarding treatment.