Sarcomas (Soft Tissue & Bone)
A family of connective-tissue cancers including soft tissue sarcomas, osteosarcoma, and hemangiosarcoma.
What is Sarcomas (Soft Tissue & Bone)?
Sarcomas arise from connective tissues — muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, nerves, blood vessels, and bone. Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) tend to be locally invasive but slow to metastasise (with exceptions). Grade determines behaviour more than tumour type.
Common signs and symptoms
Signs vary between dogs and can be subtle at first. Watch for the following, especially if several appear together or persist for more than a few days:
- Firm mass under the skin, often fixed to underlying tissue
- Slowly growing lump that may be present for months before changing
- Lameness (bone sarcomas)
- Neurological signs (nerve sheath tumours)
Risk factors
Certain dogs are more predisposed. Understanding risk helps you screen earlier and act sooner.
- Large-breed senior dogs
- Golden Retriever, Boxer
- Prior radiation site
When to see a vet
Use this as general triage guidance, not a substitute for veterinary advice.
- Book a routine appointment if: any firm subcutaneous mass — 'watch and wait' is not a good strategy for fixed lumps.
- Seek urgent care if: rapidly growing masses, or ulceration and bleeding.
Diagnosis and management
Diagnosis is by biopsy for grade. Wide surgical excision with clean margins is the cornerstone; radiation is added for incompletely excised or high-grade tumours. Chemotherapy is used for high-grade STS and osteosarcoma.