Sarcomas are malignant tumors that commonly arise from bone and soft tissue such as muscle, fat, and nerves. Bone sarcomas include osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and Ewing’s sarcoma, and soft-tissue sarcomas include liposarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The characteristics of sarcoma are its rarity (low frequency of occurrence) and diversity (various histological types). The frequency of sarcoma is extremely low compared to carcinomas such as lung cancer and colon cancer, and sarcomas account for only 1% of all malignant tumors.

Due to the rarity and variety of sarcoma, it is difficult to diagnose and treat the disease appropriately. In addition, many patients are referred to cancer centers after receiving unplanned excision.

July has been designated as “Sarcoma Awareness Month”, with the yellow ribbon as a symbol, and various activities have been carried out so far to raise awareness of this rare cancer for research support and development in treatment all over the world.

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to all the researchers who have contributed to the fight against this disease. In particular, we would like to highlight multiple research projects in this field, covering mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment, early detection, promising therapeutic targets, and new therapeutic strategies. We hope this announcement will provide useful information for clinical practice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

• “Characterization of Macrophages and Osteoclasts in the Osteosarcoma Tumor Microenvironment at Diagnosis: New Perspective for Osteosarcoma Treatment?”
  by Anne Gomez-Brouchet et al.
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/3/423

• “Exploring Metabolic Adaptations to the Acidic Microenvironment of Osteosarcoma Cells Unveils Sphingosine 1-Phosphate as a Valuable Therapeutic Target”
  by Margherita Cortini et al.
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/2/311

• “Drug Resistance in Osteosarcoma: Emerging Biomarkers, Therapeutic Targets and Treatment Strategies”
  by Claudia Maria Hattinger et al.
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/12/2878

• “Chondrosarcoma-from Molecular Pathology to Novel Therapies”
  by Agnieszka E. Zając et al.
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/10/2390

• “Tumor and Peripheral Immune Status in Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Implications for Immunotherapy”
  by Luana Madalena Sousa et al.
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/15/3885

You are welcome to submit relevant papers to the Special Issue “Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month” at https://www.mdpi.com/si/cancers/IQ9P79398L.

Dr. Shinji Miwa, Editorial Board Member of Cancers