Basic sciencePathology of soft tissue tumours

Soft tissue tumours are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms with differentiation towards mesenchymal tissue. They may arise anywhere in the body and show similar clinical presentation. Traditional histopathological diagnosis is now complemented by molecular diagnostic techniques that have become firmly established ancillary diagnostic methods. This article provides a short overview of the aetiology and clinical features of soft tissue sarcomas with an update on how molecular genetics are influencing classification and management of these rare tumours.