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Cardiologist

Carcinomas form in the skin or tissue cells that line the body’s internal organs, such as the kidneys and liver.
Sarcomas are tumors that grow in the body’s soft tissue cells.

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In this article, we’ll explore the differences between carcinomas and sarcomas, examining:

They’re both cancer types, and they both end in “oma,” a suffix meaning tumor or cancer. But that’s where the similarities between carcinoma and sarcoma end. Rather, these two cancers are different in more ways than they’re alike, starting with the fact that carcinomas are a more common type of cancer and sarcomas are fairly rare.

The biggest difference between the two, though, has nothing to do with how often they occur, but where.

Sarcoma vs. carcinoma: The difference

Carcinomas form in the skin or tissue cells that line the body’s internal organs, such as the kidneys and liver.

Sarcomas are tumors that grow in the body’s soft tissue cells.

Also, under a microscope, sarcoma cells are arranged individually, while carcinoma cells are arranged in groups.

Together, sarcomas and carcinomas make up most cancer diagnoses.

The three other main types of cancer are:

  • Lymphomas, which affect lymph node cells
  • Myelomas, which develop in the plasma cells of bone marrow
  • Leukemias, which form in bone marrow cells
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What is a carcinoma?

Carcinomas typically affect the skin or mucous membranes. About 80 percent to 90 percent of all cancers are carcinomas. The main types include:

  • Adenocarcinomas, which develop in the tissues that produce fluids or mucus, such as the breasts and lungs
  • Basal cell carcinomas, which form at the base of the skin’s outer layer and are the most common types of skin cancer
  • Squamous cell carcinomas, which begin near the surface of the skin’s outer layer
  • Transitional cell carcinomas, which occur in the tissues that line the bladder and ureter (the tube that carries urine to the bladder from the kidneys)
  • Clear cell carcinomas, which develop in the lining of small tubes in the kidneys

Symptoms of carcinomas generally depend on the tissues where they develop. For example, common symptoms of basal cell carcinoma include open sores, red patches, pink growths and shiny bumps on scars.

The disease may spread to other parts of the body or stay confined to the area where it first developed.

The four most common cancers—breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer—are carcinomas.

What is a sarcoma?

While carcinomas develop in the epithelial cells that line the body’s internal organs and outer surfaces, sarcomas form in the mesenchymal cells, which form in the body’s connective tissues, including fat, blood vessels, nerves, bones, muscles and cartilage.

Sarcoma tumors are commonly found in the abdomen, arms or legs.

Although rare—accounting for less than 1 percent of all cancers in the United States each year—sarcomas have more than 50 subtypes. The two main types are:

  • Bone sarcomas, which form in bone tissue, cartilage or bone marrow
  • Soft tissue sarcomas, which form in muscles, tendons, fat and nerves or other soft tissue

Like carcinomas, sarcoma symptoms typically depend on where in the body the disease forms. For example, symptoms of osteosarcoma—a type of bone sarcoma—may include bone pain or tenderness. But most sarcomas don’t cause symptoms until they grow and begin pressing on nearby nerves, organs or muscles.

Examples of sarcomas (and where they form) include:

  • Chrondrosarcoma (cartilage)
  • Fibrosarcoma (fibrous tissue)
  • Mesothelioma (mesothelium)
  • Neuroblastoma (nerves)

Treating sarcoma vs. carcinoma

In most cases, sarcomas may be more difficult to treat than carcinomas. In the past, for example, doctors treated soft tissue sarcomas in the arms and legs by amputation. Today, more limb-sparing surgeries are performed. These procedures use tissue grafts or implants to replace removed tissue, sometimes followed by radiation therapy. Yet amputation still may be necessary in certain cases, such as when it’s the only way to remove all the cancer.

In most cases of early-stage sarcomas, surgery is the only treatment needed, but for more advanced sarcomas, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and/or immunotherapy may be recommended, too. Chemotherapy is also sometimes given before or after surgery for sarcomas to help shrink the tumor so it can be removed or to kill remaining cancer cells left in the body.

Like early-stage sarcomas, the first-line treatment for carcinomas that haven’t spread is typically surgery. Other treatments for carcinomas may include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

As with most cancers, treatment often depends on the type of sarcoma or carcinoma, its location, how aggressive it is, whether it’s spread to other parts of the body and the patient’s personal preferences and treatment goals.

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