Soft tissue sarcoma is quite rare in adults, accounting for approximately 1% of all cancer diagnoses. On the other hand, they are more common in children, as between 1,500 and 1,700 children receive a soft tissue cancer diagnosis in the country every year. Thereby, soft tissue sarcoma makes up 15% of cancer diagnoses in children under the age of 20. Only 50% of people with soft tissue sarcoma live for 5 years or longer following diagnosis. Unfortunately, soft tissue cancer is notorious for recurring and metastasizing. The symptoms of soft tissue cancer include the following:
- swelling under the skin that may cause a painless lump that grows over time
- swelling in the abdomen that may cause abdominal pain, a feeling of fullness, and constipation
- swelling near the lungs that may cause a persistent cough and difficulty breathing
It is important to know that there are numerous types of soft tissue sarcomas. Therefore, if you were stationed at a military base contaminated with PFAS and came to struggle with one of the following types of soft tissue cancers, you may be eligible for compensation:
- angiosarcoma
- dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- epithelioid sarcoma
- gastrointestinal stromal tumor
- Kaposi’s sarcoma
- leiomyosarcoma
- liposarcoma
- malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors
- myxofibrosarcoma
- rhabdomyosarcoma
- solitary fibrous tumor
- synovial sarcoma
- undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma
The main source of PFAS on military bases is the use of aqueous film-forming foam, commonly known as AFFF, used by military firefighters and trainees to put out jet fuel and petroleum fires. This fire suppressant, while very effective, is highly dangerous, as once PFAS are released in the environment, they persist, since they are forever chemicals. If you were stationed at a contaminated military base, either alone or with your family members, and developed soft tissue cancer, we strongly encourage you to contact our law firm, as you may qualify for filing a claim with the companies that manufactured the AFFF you were exposed to. It is important to know that, if one of the family members who was stationed with you receives a diagnosis of soft tissue cancer, they may also be entitled to financial compensation.
