Cancerous tumors of connective tissue are called "sarcomas." Cartilage, fat, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and bones are all considered connective tissue. Sarcomas are further divided into two groups: bone tumors and soft tissue sarcomas. We'll be discussing soft tissue sarcomas, specifically leiomyosarcomas, which occur in the colon.
Definition of Leiomyosarcoma
"Leio-" means "smooth" and "myo-" means "muscle." So, "leiomyosarcoma" literally means a cancer of smooth muscle. The colon has three layers of this type of muscle, which work together to move waste through the digestive tract.
Symptoms of Leiomyosarcoma
Symptoms of leiomyosarcoma include bleeding and pain. The average age at diagnosis is 60 and early detection is crucial since leiomyosarcomas metastasize in more than half of patients.
Incidence of Leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcomas are extremely uncommon and account for less than two percent of all colorectal cancers.
Other Types of Colorectal Cancer:- Adenocarcinoma
- Aggressive Neuroendocrine Tumor
- Lymphoma
- Malignant Melanoma
- Mucinous Adenocarcinoma
- Signet Ring Cell Adenocarcinoma
- Education: What is Sarcoma? Sarcoma Alliance. 5 Jul. 2006 [http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/master.html?ArticleId=90].
- Fallahzadeh, H. "Leiomyosarcoma of Colon: Report of Two Cases." The American Surgeon 61.4 (Apr. 1995): 294-296. PubMed. 5 Jul. 2006 [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7893089&dopt=Abstract].
