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Angiosarcoma of the Breast
Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer that starts in the cells that line blood vessels or lymph vessels. While it can start anywhere in the body, sometimes it starts in the breast. Angiosarcoma is different from more common types of breast cancer in many ways, and it is treated differently.
What causes angiosarcoma of the breast?
The cause of angiosarcoma isn’t always clear, but most often it develops after previous radiation treatment to the breast. Still, this is rare – the risk of angiosarcoma after breast radiation is less than 1%. When angiosarcoma does develop, it is typically 5 to 10 years after the radiation was given, although it can be earlier or later than this.
Angiosarcoma can also develop in people with lymphedema (a buildup of lymph fluid, often in the breast or arm) after breast cancer treatment, whether they’ve received radiation or not. But again, this is rare.
Signs and symptoms of angiosarcoma
Angiosarcoma can cause skin changes like purplish bumps or lumps, similar to a bruise or rash, either in the breast or in a swollen arm.
How is angiosarcoma of the breast diagnosed?
One or more of the following imaging tests may be done to check for breast changes:
Angiosarcoma is diagnosed by a biopsy, removing a small piece of the breast tissue and looking at it closely in the lab. Only a biopsy can tell for sure that it is cancer.
If angiosarcoma has been diagnosed, imaging tests such as CT or MRI scans will be done to see whether it has spread to other parts of the body.
How is breast angiosarcoma treated?
Angiosarcomas tend to grow and spread quickly. Because these cancers are rare, they are best treated by a team of doctors at a center that has experience in treating them. These doctors will develop a treatment plan that is specific to your situation.
Despite being in the breast, these cancers are a type of soft tissue sarcoma, rather than a typical breast cancer, so the treatment is different.
Treatment usually includes surgery, if it can be done. Mastectomy (removing the whole breast) is usually preferred over breast-conserving surgery because it lowers the chances the cancer will return. Angiosarcoma doesn’t usually spread to the lymph nodes under the arm (axillary lymph nodes), so these might not need to be removed unless the lymph nodes are swollen.
Radiation might be given for certain angiosarcomas, especially if they are not related to prior breast radiation.
Chemotherapy before or after surgery might also be recommended in some situations, especially if there’s a higher risk of the cancer coming back. The chemo drugs used most often are the same as those used for other soft tissue sarcomas.
For angiosarcomas that have spread to other parts of the body, chemotherapy is usually the main treatment.
For more information, see Treating Soft Tissue Sarcomas.
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Chugh R, Sabel MS, Feng M. Breast sarcoma: Epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and staging. UpToDate. 2026. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/breast-sarcoma-epidemiology-risk-factors-clinical-presentation-diagnosis-and-staging on April 8, 2026.
Chugh R, Sabel MS, Feng M. Breast sarcoma: Treatment. UpToDate. 2026. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/breast-sarcoma-treatment on April 8, 2026.
Maki RG. Radiation-associated sarcomas. UpToDate. 2026. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/radiation-associated-sarcomas on April 8, 2026.
Van Tine BA. Chapter 90: Sarcomas of Soft Tissue. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier; 2020.
Last Revised: June 24, 2026
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