Angiosarcoma: Definition and Causes
Angiosarcoma is a highly invasive form of cancer. The tumors are malignant and grow rapidly arising from the cells that line the vessel walls of both the blood and lymphatic systems.
The endothelium layer is made up of endothelial cells that line all the blood vessels anf lymphatics. A tumor begins in this layer as a rapidly proliferating growth of immature cells that becomes cancerous and can quickly spread to other body systems.
The unique health threat of angiosarcoma is its relationship to the circulatory system. It is like most forms of cancer an uncontrolled cell replication.
Hemangiosarcoma is when the tumor is filled with blood because the blood vessels grow directly into it. When a malignant condition is within the circulatory system it is very dangerous because the cancerous cells can spread the cancer easily to otherwise healthy systems. Angiosarcoma proves to be an aggressive, difficult to treat form of cancer because it directly affects the blood vessels. It also has a high recurrance rate.
Lymphangiosarcoma is an angiosarcoma that comes from the endothelial cells of the lymphatic vessels. The job of the lymph system is to distribute antibodies through the body and if the cancer interrupts this process, it will affect the lymph or blood and it can be fatal.
The skin and soft tissue are the most common locations for angiosarcomas to found, but they can occur in any organ of the body. These tumors can begin in the bone, liver, spleen, heart or breast.
Cutaneous angiosarcoma is the most common form of angiosarcoma. This disease primarily is located on the head and neck of elderly persons.
There is no known cause of angiosarcomas. Researchers have been able to identify risk factors that may lead to a higher chance of developing the tumors.
Hemangiosarcoma is linked to toxin exposures. Stewart – Treves a hemangiosarcoma is due to lymphedema, which occurs after breast cancer treatments.
People who have received treatments like radiation and chemotherapy have a higher risk of angiosarcoma. Exposure to vinyl chloride used in polymerization in the plastic industry can lead to angiosarcomas of liver and soft tissue. Though exposure to these pre-conditions or environmental toxins may have occurred thirty years ago, people can still develop these cancerous tumors.
All these types of angiosarcomas are highly aggressive and destroy the body. Prognosis is usually poor and mortality rate high because of the high rate of local recurrence and because they are often misdiagnosed. Vascular malignant tumors do not respond well to chemotherapy and radiation which makes them very difficult to treat.
Research, around the world, is being done on P53, a tumor suppressor gene and its surrounding molecules. The research continues to be done in hope that one day new treatments may be found for this life threatening cancer.
