angiosarcoma

angiosarcoma A form of tissue cancer (sarcoma) that arises in the lining of blood vessels. Angiosarcomas tend to be aggressive, recur locally, and spread widely. Predisposing factors include lymphedema (as from a radical mastectomy), radiotherapy, foreign materials (such as steel and plastic) in the body, and environmental agents (such as arsenic solutions used to spray grapevines and vinyl chloride in the plastic industry).