Soft-tissue sarcoma in adolescents and young adults

Soft-tissue sarcoma is a rare cancer that accounts for approximately 1% of all malignant tumors. Although they occur in various age groups, soft-tissue sarcomas account for 8% of all malignant tumors developing in adolescents and young adults, suggesting that they are not rare in this age group. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and pathological characteristics of soft-tissue sarcoma in adolescents and young adults. According to the Bone and Soft-Tissue Tumor Registry in Japan, myxoid liposarcoma is the most common type of soft-tissue sarcoma found in adolescents and young adults; alveolar soft part sarcoma, extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma, epithelioid sarcoma, clear cell sarcoma and synovial sarcoma occur predominantly in this age group among soft-tissue sarcomas. The analysis based on this registry demonstrated that age was not a prognostic factor for poor survival of soft-tissue sarcoma, although the prognosis in adolescents and young adults was better than that in older patients in the US and Scandinavia. Adolescent and young adult patients with soft-tissue sarcoma have age-specific problems, and a multidisciplinary approach to physical, psychological, and social issues is necessary to improve the management of these young patients both during and after treatment.