Skip to main content

Causes of soft tissue sarcoma

Who is more likely to get soft tissue sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare cancer. It’s not always known what causes it.

You might be more likely to get it if you:

  • are over the age of 65
  • had radiotherapy in the past
  • have HIV – if left untreated, HIV can cause a type of soft tissue sarcoma called Kaposi’s sarcoma
  • have neurofibromatosis – a genetic condition that causes non-cancerous tumours to grow along the nerves
  • have retinoblastoma – a rare type of childhood eye cancer

Page last reviewed: 20 February 2024
Next review due: 20 February 2027