Soft tissue cancer can develop in connective, fatty, cartilage, muscle and bone tissue or in the blood vessels. Cancers that develop in fatty tissue are called liposarcoma (Greek “lipos” means “fat” and “sarkos” means “flesh”). In Switzerland, around 320 people are diagnosed with soft tissue cancer every year, of which around 15-20% are diagnosed with liposarcoma. Those affected are often between 50 and 65 years old at the time of diagnosis.

Oncology

What is a liposarcoma?

Liposarcoma is a rare type of cancer that develops in fatty tissue. It can occur anywhere in the body. It is most commonly diagnosed in the thigh, the back of the knee and the back of the abdomen.

A liposarcoma can develop when originally healthy fat cells start to grow uncontrollably, divide and grow into surrounding tissue. These rapidly multiplying cells can form a tumor.

The tumor cells can spread further via the lymphatic and blood vessels and form metastases (offshoots) in other parts of the body.

Types of liposarcoma

There are different types of liposarcoma, which differ in their characteristics.

The main types of liposarcoma include

Highly differentiated liposarcoma:

  • Most common form: accounts for around 40-45% of all liposarcomas
  • Grows slowly
  • Often develops in the arms and legs or behind the peritoneum

Myxoid / round cell liposarcoma:

  • Second most common form: accounts for around 30% of all liposarcomas
  • Occurs mainly in the arms and legs
  • Tends to metastasize
  • “Round cell” refers to how the tumor cells look under the microscope

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma:

  • Can develop from the highly differentiated liposarcoma
  • Usually grows quickly
  • Often occurs in the area behind the peritoneum

A much rarer form is pleomorphic liposarcoma, which accounts for 5-10% of all liposarcomas.

Symptoms

A liposarcoma often causes hardly any symptoms at first. As the tumor grows, the following symptoms are possible.

Liposarcoma on the arm or leg:

  • Noticeable, increasing swelling or lumps
  • Feeling of tension or pain in the affected area
  • Movement restrictions

Liposarcoma in the abdomen:

  • Pain in the abdominal area
  • Visible and palpable swelling of the abdomen
  • Early feeling of fullness even after eating small amounts
  • Difficulties with bowel movements
  • Blood in the stool

General complaints:

  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Tiredness, exhaustion
  • Mild fever (up to about 38 degrees)
  • Reduced performance
  • Pallor

Important: These symptoms can also have other causes. Not all of these signs necessarily indicate a liposarcoma. However, they should be checked by a doctor to be on the safe side.

Causes and risk factors

Why a soft tissue sarcoma develops has not yet been conclusively clarified. It is assumed that various factors can increase the risk of the disease.

These include, among others:

  • Previous radiotherapy
  • Certain hereditary diseases caused by genetic defects: e.g. neurofibromatosis, Gardner syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome
  • Lymphoedema

Treatment options

The treatment options include:

  • Surgery: Surgery to remove the tumor tissue is considered the most important treatment method.
  • Radiotherapy: In this form of therapy, high-energy radiation is used to destroy the cancer cells or slow down their growth.
  • Chemotherapies: Chemotherapy uses drugs that circulate in the bloodstream and can reach and kill fast-growing cells, including cancer cells, throughout the body.
  • Targeted therapies: These specifically developed drugs can block or slow down certain mechanisms and pathways that are responsible for the growth, division and spread of cancer cells.
  • Immunotherapies: These biotechnologically produced drugs can activate or strengthen the body’s own immune system in order to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively.

Which of these therapies is used depends on various factors, primarily the state of health, but also the size, location, characteristics and spread of the tumor. It is also possible for therapies to be used in combination or in succession.

CH-ONC-24-00026, 05/2024

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