Symptoms of soft tissue sarcomas vary based on their location. For example, tumors in the arm or leg can cause a lump, swelling around a joint, or pain. Because sarcomas are so rare, it is important that patients receive treatment at medical centers that specialize in childhood and adolescent cancers.
The most common risk factors for soft tissue sarcoma are in children with neurofibromatosis or from a family with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Children with these conditions are more at risk for rhabdomyosarcoma, but account for only a small fraction of cases. These syndromes usually require medical care, so you would know if your child had one of them.