In sarcoma, one develops a cancerous tumor in the tissue of the body. The tumor can grow in the bone or muscle, gradually forming a lump that can protrude from the skin. A lump like growth is an early warning sign of sarcoma. The symptoms of sarcoma depend on its origin. Identifying symptoms early, before the cancer spreads, can increase one’s chances of a complete cure. Here are four early warning signs of sarcoma.

1. A growing lump

The most prominent and easily identifiable early signs of sarcoma is a lump that can occur anywhere on the body. Sarcoma can also either start in the arm or leg, producing a lump in these two parts of the body. The lump grows gradually over a duration of a few weeks or months. It can also develop in the head or chest in rare cases. Desmoplastic small round cell tumor, also known as DSRCT, is a sarcoma that often develops in the belly or pelvis area, so patients may grow a lump there as well.

2. Pain in the affected area

As the tumor grows, few people may experience pain in that particular area, which is one of the early warning signs of sarcoma. This happens because the tumor applies pressure on the nerves as it increases in size. Those that develop a tumor in the abdomen may not feel pain in particular, but a slight sensation mimicking the sense of feeling full. If a tumor develops in the bone, one will feel pain in that particular spot. Sarcoma can also cause a bone to break without injury, which can elevate pain.

3. Excreting or vomiting blood

Sarcoma can induce conditions that cause symptoms like blood in stools or blood in vomit. This happens due to the inner bleeding of the bowels or stomach due to the tumor. The blood leaks into the digested or undigested food and are thrown out of the body either way. When one notices a lump on the body, one should check for any blood in vomit or stools. This happens when the tumor grows in size and breaks blood vessels, causing bleeding.

4. Black stools

Instead of spots of blood in stools, one may notice completely black and sticky stools. This warning sign may occur due to the blood being digested along with the food because of inner bleeding. It may also be due to a large sarcoma tumor developed in the back of one’s abdomen. When the lump grows, at times exceeding two inches, it may cause further damage to blood vessels in the gastrointestinal tract. This causes the blood to mix with digested food and form black stools. This condition may make one feel extremely tired or fatigued.