Sarcoma de tejido blando

Descripción general

El leiomiosarcoma es un tipo de cáncer poco frecuente que comienza en el tejido de los músculos lisos. El tejido de los músculos lisos se encuentra en muchas partes del cuerpo, como en el sistema digestivo, sistema urinario, vasos sanguíneos y útero.

El leiomiosarcoma a menudo comienza en el abdomen o útero. Comienza como la proliferación de celulares anómalas, y a menudo avanza rápidamente hasta invadir y destruir el tejido corporal normal.

Los signos y síntomas del leiomiosarcoma varían según el lugar donde comience el cáncer. Estos podrían comprender el dolor, pérdida de peso y un nódulo o hinchazón que va aumentando y que se puede sentir a través de la piel.

El leiomiosarcoma es un tipo de sarcoma de tejido blando que es una amplia categoría de cáncer que comienza en los tejidos que conectan, sostienen y rodean otras estructuras corporales.

Tipos

Síntomas

Leiomyosarcoma might not cause signs or symptoms at first. As the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

• Pain.
• Weight loss.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• A lump or swelling under the skin.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you have symptoms that worry you.

Causas

It's not clear what causes leiomyosarcoma. This cancer starts when something changes the cells in the smooth muscles. Many areas of the body have smooth muscle tissue. These include the digestive system, urinary system, blood vessels and uterus.

Leiomyosarcoma happens when smooth muscle cells develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA tells the cells to grow and multiply at a set rate. The DNA also tells the cells to die at a set time.

In cancer cells, the DNA changes give other instructions. The changes tell the cancer cells to grow and multiply at a fast rate. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells.

The cancer cells might form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. In time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it's called metastatic cancer.

Factores de riesgo

Risk factors for leiomyosarcoma include:

• Being an adult. Leiomyosarcoma can happen at any age. But it is most common in adults. It's rare in children.
• Having certain genetic conditions. People with certain genetic conditions may have a higher risk of leiomyosarcoma. These conditions include hereditary retinoblastoma and Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Healthcare professionals haven't found a way to prevent leiomyosarcoma.

Living with sarcoma de tejido blando?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Sarcoma support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community.

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