A malignant and rapid growing cancer, angiosarcoma is also highly invasive. The endothelial cells that line the walls of the blood and lymphatic vessels are the location from which the tumors arise.
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.
Like most forms of cancer, angiosarcoma is uncontrolled cell replication, but its relation to the circulatory system poses unique threats to the health of any individual.
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 a tumor cell that begins in the endothelium layer of the lymphatic vessels. The lymph systems job is to distribute antibodies to the body. Any time the process is disrupted by these cancer cells it can spreads these deadly cells throughout the body.
Angiosarcomas may occur in any organ of the body, but are more frequently found in skin and soft tissue. They can originate in the liver, breast, spleen, bone or heart.
Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a disease found most often in elderly persons. It is the most common form of angiosarcoma and the tumors are usually located on the head and neck.
There have been risk factors identified as related to angiosarcoma though no specific cause is known.
Hemangiosarcomas are commonly associated with toxic exposure to thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), vinyl chloride, and arsenic. Stewart-Treves syndrome is a form of hemangiosarcoma due to lymphedema, usually following mastectomy and radiotherapy for breast cancer
Treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can lead to a higher risk of angiosarcoma for the people who have received them. Vinyl chloride exposure is an issue for people who have worked in the plastic industry. This increases the risk of angiosarcoma of the liver and soft tissues. Even if the exposure to these toxins or pre-conditions was in the past, as long as 30 years ago, cancerous tumors may still develop.
Angiosarcoma tumors have a high rate of local recurrence and are considered clinically aggressive. They are often misdiagnosed which leads to a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. These malignant vascular tumors are difficult to treat because they do not usually respond well to such conventional treatments as chemotherapy and radiation.
Many researchers are examining P53, a tumor suppressor gene and its surrounding molecules. Laboratories all around the world are studying this gene. This is in hopes that new treatments will arise one day to treat this life-threatening cancer.




