Key Statistics for Soft Tissue Sarcomas

The American Cancer Society's estimates for soft tissue sarcomas in the United States for 2021 are:

• About 13,460 new soft tissue sarcomas will be diagnosed (7,720 in males and 5,740 in females).
• About 5,350 people (2,840 males and 2,510 females) are expected to die of soft tissue sarcomas.

These statistics include both adults and children.

The most common types of sarcoma in adults are:

• Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (previously called malignant fibrous histiocytoma)
• Liposarcoma
• Leiomyosarcoma

Certain types occur more often in certain parts of the body more often than others. For example, leiomyosarcomas are the most common type of sarcoma found in the abdomen (belly), while liposarcomas and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas are most common in legs. But pathologists (doctors who specialize in diagnosing cancers by how they look under the microscope), may not always agree on the exact type of sarcoma. Sarcomas of uncertain type are very common.

Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.