Sarcomas are rare cancers of the bones and soft tissues including muscles, blood vessels, fat, nerves, tendons and other connective tissues. They affect approximately 12,000 people each year in the United States. Bone sarcomas are more common among children, and soft tissue sarcomas are more common in adults. Pet dogs develop spontaneous sarcomas that are similar to human sarcomas.

Treatment requires a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical/pediatric oncologists. The Penn Sarcoma Program combines a compassionate team of expert physicians and veterinarians specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of sarcoma with a cutting edge basic and translational research team who are working to identify innovative treatments for this rare disease. The Veterinary and Medical schools work together to incorporate canine models into the Penn Sarcoma Program to accelerate sarcoma research and to bring effective therapies into the human and veterinary clinics.