Cancers of the musculoskeletal system affect both children and adults, but virtually all tumors have different age-based frequency. Myeloma, the cancer of the bone marrow, affects older persons more, while other bone and joint tumors are more prevalent in children and young adults. Soft tissue sarcomas affect all ages, but most are more common as persons reach middle age and later years. See individual cancer discussions for further information.
The age distribution at time of death for persons diagnosed with soft tissue sarcomas reflects a relative survival rate that favors younger persons. (Reference Table 8A.3.4 PDFCSV)
There are multiple soft tissue sarcomas with varying degrees of aggressive behavior, but virtually all have the capacity to metastasize and cause death. Treatment for high-grade soft tissue sarcomas is typically resection (removal) and radiation. Chemotherapy is playing an ever-increasing role, especially in high-grade (fast-growing) and metastatic cases.
