Overview

Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that begin in soft tissues, such as muscle, tendons, fat, lymph nodes, blood vessels, and nerves. These cancers can develop anywhere on the body. People with head and neck sarcomas may experience:

• A painless lump
• A mass on the face, scalp, or neck
• Jaw or ear pain
• Nasal blockage
• Nosebleeds
• Weight loss
• Difficulty swallowing

Treatment

Head and neck sarcomas are usually treated with surgery to completely remove the tumor. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be used before surgery to help shrink the tumor or after surgery to reduce the risk of cancer returning.