July is Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month

join with the aacr to find better ways to prevent and treat sarcoma and bone cancer

Sarcomas are a rare group of cancers in which malignant cells form in the bones or soft tissues of the body. 

Soft tissue sarcomas form in cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, tendons, nerves, and around joints. Osteosarcomas develop in bone; liposarcomas form in fat cells. Rhabdomyosarcomas form in muscle, and Ewing sarcomas form in bone and soft tissue.

Nearly a quarter of bone and joint cancer cases are diagnosed in those under age 20, while soft tissue cancers are more often diagnosed in those 55 years or older.

In 2025, approximately 13,520 cases of soft tissue sarcoma and approximately 3,770 cases of bone and joint cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States. That is according to estimates from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). Some 5,410 and 2,190 people are expected to die from soft tissue and bone sarcomas, respectively. The five-year survival rate for soft tissue sarcomas is 66%. The survival rate for bone and joint sarcomas is 68.5%.

Because sarcomas are difficult to distinguish from other cancers when they are found within organs, their incidence is probably underestimated, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Having certain inherited disorders can increase the risk for soft tissue sarcomas. These include Li-Fraumeni syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Werner syndrome, and nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Other risk factors for soft tissue sarcomas include past treatment with radiation therapy for certain cancers; exposure to certain chemicals, such as thorium dioxide, vinyl chloride, or arsenic; and long-term lymphedema in the arms or legs.

Risk factors for osteosarcoma include past treatment with chemotherapy or radiation, having a certain change in the RB1 gene (also known as the retinoblastoma protein), as well as having certain conditions such as Paget disease, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and Werner syndrome.

One Young Woman’s Story

Alexis Browning of Lexington, Kentucky, was only 24 years old when she was diagnosed with stage IV alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS). An 18-centimeter tumor was wrapped around her right femur. After a “miracle procedure” to remove the tumor and relieve her pain, she has been taking atezolizumab to deal with the metastatic disease. She credits “an amazing village of supporters who love me” and help her keep going.

“On days when I just do not have any grace to give, they help me find little moments of comfort and joy in the mundane and in the darkness,” she says. Read her story in the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2023.

More on sarcoma and bone cancer

  • Faithanne Hill was diagnosed with ASPS in 2013 when she was 10 years old. In 2020, she became the first-ever patient to have an investigational agent administered in Trinidad and Tobago for an oncology clinical trial. Read her story on Cancer Research Catalyst, the AACR blog.
  • Researchers are examining ways to develop more targeted treatments by improving sarcoma tumor profiling, nanomedicine delivery, and T-cell therapy. To learn more, read Profiling Sarcomas—The Search for a Matching Therapy on Cancer Research Catalyst. 
  • Julie Kramer was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma at age 23. On Believe in Progress: An AACR Foundation Podcast, she talks about the transformative power of community support and holistic practices like Reiki and yoga.

What the AACR Is Doing in Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Research

The AACR is supporting sarcoma research through these recent fellowships and grants:

for more information

For more information on sarcoma in adults, please see our page on soft tissue sarcoma.

For more information on sarcoma in children and adolescents, please see our page on childhood soft tissue sarcoma.