Sarcoma

If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with sarcoma, Columbia’s sarcoma center can help. From your first visit, our team is by your side with personalized, compassionate care backed by the latest research and treatments.

What is sarcoma?

Sarcoma is a type of cancer that forms tumors in connective tissues, such as bones, muscles, blood vessels, cartilage, fat, ligaments, lymph vessels, nerves, and tendons.

Sarcomas make up less than 1% of all cancers, with only about 15,000 new cases diagnosed every year in the United States. Because sarcomas are so rare, their treatment is complex and requires personalization; it is important to be treated at a high-volume comprehensive cancer center like Columbia.

Sarcomas can form almost anywhere in the body, but usually start in the arms, legs, chest, or abdomen. There are many different types of sarcomas, but they can generally be grouped into two main types: soft-tissue sarcomas and bone sarcomas.

How does Columbia approach sarcoma care?

At Columbia, our specialists diagnose and manage hundreds of sarcoma cases every year, much higher than the national average. Our sarcoma program offers you cutting-edge treatment approaches that combine therapies in new ways to improve outcomes, highly specialized surgery designed to remove tumors while preserving limb function, and quick, accurate diagnosis from expert sarcoma pathologists. You will have access to clinical trials, genetic testing that can help match you with targeted treatments, and next-generation radiation therapies that precisely treat tumors while protecting healthy tissue.