Final answer:
Cancers that arise from connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, and muscle are classified as sarcomas, not carcinomas. Sarcomas differ from carcinomas that originate from epithelial cells. A biopsy is required for a definitive diagnosis and classification of the cancer type.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cancers derived from connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, muscle, or hematopoietic tissues are sarcomas, not carcinomas. Carcinomas originate from epithelial cells and include cancers often found in the breast, prostate, lung, and colon. Connective tissues, which include the diverse cell types such as fibroblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteocytes, and blood-forming hematopoietic cells, all arise from the mesodermal germ layer.
Sarcomas involve mutations in the cells that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the structural framework within connective tissue. Given that blood, bone, and cartilage are specialized forms of connective tissues, cancers in these areas are also classified as sarcomas, which differ from carcinomas that arise in epithelial tissue.
A biopsy is necessary to definitively diagnose and classify cancers. This microscopic examination by a pathologist determines whether a tumor is a carcinoma, sarcoma, or another type of cancer, based on where the cancer originated and other cellular characteristics.