Symptoms

Main symptoms of soft tissue sarcoma

The most common symptom of soft tissue sarcoma is a lump somewhere on your body.

It's usually found deep under your skin and you may feel it before you see it.

The lump is usually solid to the touch, painless and hard to move around under the skin.

It will continue to grow and as it does, it can become painful.

Other symptoms

You may also get other symptoms depending on where in your body the lump is.

These can include:

• tummy pain and constipation if you get a sarcoma near your tummy
• a cough that does not go away if you get a sarcoma near your lungs

See a GP if you have:

Important

Lumps and swellings are very common and can be caused by many different conditions.

Having a lump or swelling does not definitely mean you have soft tissue sarcoma, but it's important to get checked by a GP.

If your symptoms are caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat.

What happens at the GP appointment

The GP will examine any lumps. They may also arrange for you to have some blood tests and an ultrasound scan.

Referral to a specialist

The GP may refer you for more tests or to see a specialist in hospital if they think you have symptoms that need to be investigated.

This may be an urgent referral if you have certain symptoms. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.

Find out more:

• Cancer Research UK: seeing your GP about soft tissue sarcoma

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