Overview
Soft tissue and bone cancers — collectively known as sarcomas — are a diverse group of rare malignant tumours that arise from the connective tissues of the body. Soft tissue sarcomas develop in muscles, tendons, fat, blood vessels, nerves, and the fibrous tissues surrounding joints. Bone sarcomas arise from bone cells and the cartilage, fibrous, or vascular tissues within the bone structure.
Sarcomas can occur at any age — from young children to older adults — and can develop in virtually any part of the body. They represent less than 1% of all adult cancers but account for approximately 15% of childhood cancers — making them a critically important group of tumours requiring specialist oncology expertise.
Due to their rarity and diversity, sarcomas require highly specialized diagnosis — including expert pathological review, molecular testing, and imaging — to accurately classify the tumour subtype and design the most effective treatment plan. With advances in chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and surgical oncology, many sarcoma patients can achieve meaningful disease control, long-term remission, or complete cure — particularly when diagnosed early and treated at a specialist centre.
Types of Soft Tissue & Bone Cancer
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer — most frequently affecting adolescents and young adults during periods of rapid bone growth. It typically arises in the long bones near the knee, shoulder, or hip. Treatment involves neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.
Ewing Sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a highly malignant bone and soft tissue tumour — most common in children and young adults — typically arising in the pelvis, femur, tibia, or ribs. It is characterized by the EWSR1-FLI1 gene fusion and is treated with intensive multiagent chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.
Chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma arises from cartilage cells and is the second most common primary bone tumour — most frequently affecting adults over 40. It is generally resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation — making surgery the primary treatment, with targeted therapy and immunotherapy options for advanced or unresectable disease.
Giant Cell Tumour of Bone
Giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB) is a locally aggressive bone tumour arising near the ends of long bones — particularly around the knee. It can occasionally metastasize to the lungs. Treatment includes surgery and denosumab — a RANK ligand inhibitor targeted therapy.
Synovial Sarcoma
Synovial sarcoma is a soft tissue sarcoma most commonly arising near large joints — particularly the knee — in young adults. It is characterized by SS18-SSX gene fusion and is treated with surgery, chemotherapy (ifosfamide and doxorubicin), and radiation.
Liposarcoma
Liposarcoma develops from fat cells and is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas in adults. It most frequently arises in the retroperitoneum (behind the abdominal cavity) or the thigh. Treatment involves surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy for advanced disease — with CDK4 and MDM2 inhibitors for dedifferentiated liposarcoma.
Leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma develops from smooth muscle cells — most commonly in the uterus, retroperitoneum, or blood vessels. It is treated with surgery, chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus docetaxel or doxorubicin-based regimens), and in some cases targeted therapy.
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children — arising from skeletal muscle cells. It can develop in the head and neck, genitourinary tract, or extremities. Treatment involves multiagent chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST)
GIST arises from the specialized interstitial cells of Cajal in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the most common mesenchymal tumour of the GI tract and is treated with imatinib targeted therapy — with second and third-line targeted options for imatinib-resistant disease.
Angiosarcoma
Angiosarcoma develops from the cells lining blood or lymph vessels and can arise in the skin, soft tissue, breast, liver, or heart. It is an aggressive tumour treated with surgery, chemotherapy (paclitaxel), and targeted therapy — with immunotherapy showing emerging benefit.
Signs to Look for in Soft Tissue & Bone Cancer
- A painless or painful lump or swelling in soft tissue — muscles, tendons, or under the skin — that is growing or larger than 5cm
- Bone pain — persistent, localized, or worsening at night — not explained by injury or activity
- Swelling or tenderness near a bone or joint
- A bone that fractures unexpectedly with minimal or no trauma — pathological fracture
- Limited range of motion in a joint near a swelling
- Persistent fatigue or unexplained weight loss
- A lump that feels firm or fixed rather than soft and moveable
- Visible swelling of an arm or leg without obvious cause
- Neurological symptoms — numbness, tingling, or weakness — from tumour pressing on nearby nerves
- In children — limping, refusal to use a limb, or persistent bone or joint pain that does not resolve
Treatment Options
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cornerstone of treatment for many soft tissue and bone sarcomas — used as neoadjuvant treatment before surgery to shrink tumours, as adjuvant treatment after surgery to reduce recurrence risk, or as the primary treatment for advanced or metastatic disease. Common regimens include doxorubicin plus ifosfamide for soft tissue sarcomas, and MAP (methotrexate, doxorubicin, cisplatin) or ifosfamide-based protocols for osteosarcoma. At Jus’ Onco, sarcoma chemotherapy is delivered as a low cost day care service — patients receive their infusion and return home the same day.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy plays a critical role in sarcoma treatment — particularly for GIST (imatinib, sunitinib, regorafenib), dedifferentiated liposarcoma (CDK4/MDM2 inhibitors), giant cell tumour of bone (denosumab), and angiosarcoma (pazopanib). Biomarker and molecular testing is reviewed at Jus’ Onco to determine targeted therapy eligibility for each sarcoma subtype.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy — particularly PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors (pembrolizumab, nivolumab) — has shown activity in certain sarcoma subtypes including undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, and epithelioid sarcoma. At Jus’ Onco, PD-L1 status and tumour mutational burden are assessed to determine immunotherapy eligibility.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is used for sarcomas that cannot be completely surgically removed, as adjuvant treatment after limb-sparing surgery to reduce local recurrence risk, or as primary treatment for Ewing sarcoma in combination with chemotherapy. Jus’ Onco coordinates radiation therapy referrals through its specialist oncology network.
Surgical Oncology
Surgery is the primary treatment for most localized soft tissue and bone sarcomas — with the goal of achieving wide negative surgical margins while preserving function. Limb-sparing surgery has replaced amputation as the standard approach for most extremity sarcomas — often combined with chemotherapy and radiation. Jus’ Onco coordinates surgical oncology referrals as part of a comprehensive sarcoma treatment plan.
Supportive Care
Includes pain management, physiotherapy and rehabilitation coordination, nutritional support, psychological support for patients — particularly younger patients and families — psycho-oncology counselling, and symptom control — maintaining quality of life and supporting treatment completion throughout the full sarcoma treatment journey.
Soft Tissue & Bone Cancer Care at Jus' Onco
At Jus’ Onco, we provide comprehensive soft tissue and bone cancer care through advanced diagnostics, personalized treatment planning, and a multidisciplinary oncology team. From first consultation through recovery and long-term follow-up, our focus is on delivering the best chemotherapy in India alongside targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and integrated supportive care — all at a low cost that ensures no patient is forced to delay or abandon treatment.
Our sarcoma care programme begins with a thorough review of your diagnostic reports, imaging (MRI, CT, PET, bone scan), biopsy and expert pathological review, and comprehensive molecular testing — including KIT and PDGFRA mutation testing for GIST, EWSR1 fusion testing for Ewing sarcoma, SS18-SSX testing for synovial sarcoma, CDK4 and MDM2 amplification for liposarcoma, and PD-L1 expression — ensuring your treatment plan is precisely matched to your sarcoma subtype, grade, stage, and molecular profile.
Whether you require MAP chemotherapy for osteosarcoma, ifosfamide plus doxorubicin for soft tissue sarcoma, imatinib targeted therapy for GIST, denosumab for giant cell tumour of bone, pembrolizumab immunotherapy for eligible sarcoma subtypes, or a multimodal combination approach — Jus’ Onco designs and delivers a complete, evidence-based sarcoma treatment plan with full day care convenience, transparent pricing, and zero hidden charges.
