A type of cancer that develops in connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, blood vessels, or other supportive tissues. Sarcomas are less common than carcinomas but can be highly aggressive.
From Greek 'sarx' meaning flesh and the suffix '-oma' meaning tumor. The term was coined in the early 19th century to distinguish cancers arising from connective tissue ('flesh') from those arising from epithelial surfaces.
Sarcoma literally means 'flesh tumor' - it's cancer that develops in the body's structural framework rather than the lining tissues! Think of it as cancer attacking your body's scaffolding - the bones, muscles, and connective tissues that hold everything together.
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