Angiosarcoma

Angiosarcoma is a very rare cancerous tumor that starts in the inner lining of your blood vessels or lymphatic vessels. Because these tumors arise from vessels located throughout your body, you can develop angiosarcoma almost anywhere.

That said, angiosarcoma usually affects the skin on your head, neck or breast (cutaneous angiosarcoma). Less often, it starts in organs like your heart (cardiac angiosarcoma), liver and spleen.

Learning you have angiosarcoma can feel unsettling because it can be an aggressive cancer that’s hard to treat. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options. Your healthcare provider can advise you on treatments based on your diagnosis.

How common is this condition?

Angiosarcomas are rare malignant soft tissue sarcomas, which are rare tumors in and of themselves. Each year, approximately 1 person in 1 million people in the U.S. is diagnosed with angiosarcoma. The most common site where you get angiosarcoma is your skin, especially your scalp.