According to the American Cancer Society, uterine sarcoma is a cancer of the muscle and supporting tissues of the uterus (womb). Sarcomas are cancers that start from tissues such as muscle, fat, bone, and fibrous tissue (the material that forms tendons and ligaments).
Important distinctions:
- More than 95% of cancers of the uterus are carcinomas, cancers that develop from epithelial cells of the lining layers of that organ.
- Carcinomas of the lower part of the uterus above the vagina, called the cervix, are called cervical carcinomas.
- Carcinomas that develop from the lining cells of the upper part of the uterus, called the body or corpus of the uterus, are called endometrial carcinomas.
Most uterine sarcomas fall into 1 of 3 categories, based on the type of cell they developed from:
- Endometrial stromal sarcomas develop in the stroma (supporting connective tissue) of the endometrium.
- Uterine leiomyosarcomas start in the muscular wall of the uterus.
- Uterine carcinosarcomas, once known as malignant mixed mesodermal tumors or malignant mixed müllerian tumors (MMMT), start in the endometrium and have features of both sarcomas and carcinomas. They are usually classified with uterine sarcomas, but some doctors believe they are more closely related to carcinomas.
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