July Is Sarcoma Awareness Month
Welcome to July, the month that sheds a light on sarcoma awareness.
Every July, clinicians, researchers, health care institutions, patient advocacy organizations and individuals join forces to educate people about sarcoma. The origin of Sarcoma Awareness Month can be traced back to October 31, 2007 in Seattle. On that day, approximately 20 individuals representing more than a dozen patient advocacy organizations convened and focused on how to best increase public awareness of sarcoma. They decided to designate July as Sarcoma Awareness Month, and with that the first official Sarcoma Awareness Month took place in July, 2008.
Activities this year include Wear Yellow Wednesday, which occurs on July 8 and Light Up for Sarcoma Day held on July 24. For this event, buildings, monuments, private residences, and other locations across the country will illuminate the exterior of their facilities in yellow to call attention to sarcoma.
Sarcomas are a rare group of cancers in which malignant cells form in the bones or soft tissues of the body. They occur much more prevalently in children (about 15% of cancer cases) compared to adults (1%) in the U.S. Because healthy, active children and teens often have pain and swelling in their arms and legs, sarcomas are sometimes mistaken for growing pains or a sports injury.
Soft tissue sarcomas form in cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, tendons, nerves, and around joints. Osteosarcomas develop in bone. Liposarcomas form in fat cells. Rhabdomyosarcomas form in muscle, and Ewing sarcomas form in bone and soft tissue.
About 22% of bone and joint cancer cases are diagnosed in those under age 20, while soft tissue cancers are more often diagnosed in those 55 years or older. Soft tissue sarcomas are hard to spot, because they can grow anywhere in your body. Most often, the first sign is a painless lump. As the lump gets bigger, it might press against nerves or muscles and make you uncomfortable or give you trouble breathing, or both. There are no tests that can find these tumors before they cause any noticeable symptoms.
In 2026, approximately 13,910 cases of soft tissue sarcoma and 4,110 cases of bone and joint cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States. However with increased awareness, continued advocacy, and investment in research we can bring these numbers down and ultimately enhance survival chances and quality of life for those living with sarcoma.
