 I am a medical oncologist practicing in Manipal Hospital's Bangalore. July is sarcoma awareness month so I am here to talk a bit about sarcomas. Now what is a sarcoma? Sarcomas are basically solid cancers or tumors which arise from the mesenchymal tissue or connective tissue. Connective tissue basically consists of bone, cartilage, nerve, muscle, fat and blood vessels. Now they constitute 1% of all anal malignancies and almost 15% of pediatric malignancies. They are basically of two types, bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas. Now soft tissue sarcomas have almost 50 different subtypes. Most common ones are plomomorphic sarcoma, leomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma and then of course we have gastrointestinal stromal tumor and liposarcoma. Now sarcomas can arise from various parts of the body. Most common are the extremities or the hands and legs. 43% occur in the extremities but they can also occur in the trunk or in the internal organs, the retropyridonium or in the head and leg region. What are the risk factors or positive factors for sarcomas? See most sarcomas are mostly sporadic means there are no definite cause. No specific dietary factors are involved. Some are related to genetic or familial factors. Some can be a result of previous exposure to radiation or chemicals. The treatment of sarcoma starts with a biopsy. Biopsy has to be done by an experienced surgeon. Then this is followed. Once the diagnosis of sarcoma is made this is followed by a staging investigation which basically consists of CT scans, PEN CT scans, MRIs and X-rays. It is imperative to be diagnosed and treated with an experienced centre consisting of a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and oncologists to get the maximum outcome. The treatment of sarcoma basically consists of surgery. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment and it is supplemented with radiation therapy and chemotherapy on a case-by-case basis. The outcome of sarcoma is excellent if it is diagnosed at an early stage and hence the purpose of this awareness stop. In localized diseases the overall survival in sarcomas can be as high as 81%. The overall survival across all stages is around 60%. However if it is diagnosed late at a late stage then it is mostly incurable. Hence it is imperative that sarcomas are diagnosed at an early stage. What are the symptoms? It is mainly a swelling or a new lump in any part of the body. Can be associated with pain or restriction of movement. Internal organ sarcomas can present with breathing difficulty or abdominal pain or other symptoms related to the particular organ. Hence if you have any swelling in any part of the body consult your doctor immediately. Early diagnosis is the key to cure.