SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS AFTER PREOPERATIVE IRRADIATION OF EWINGS-SARCOMA

The influence of preoperative irradiation on surgical complications in 42 patients with Ewings sarcoma was analysed. After preoperative irra diation and chemotherapy, 35 of 40 patients showed a good histological response and 25 of 40 patients had no viable tumour cells in the rese cted specimen. Local relapse alone did not develop, local relapse and metastasis developed in 2 patients and metastasis alone in 15 patients . Surgical complications appeared in 12 of 42 patients: 9 of 19 centra l tumours (19 pelvic lesions), 1 of 13 proximal and 2 of 10 distal tum ours. Surgical complications after preoperative irradiation are distri buted as follows: delayed wound healing 8, hematoma 2, thrombosis 2, s kin infection 1, and abscess 1. On the other hand, complications appea red in 2 of 28 patients without preoperative irradiation: none in 9 pa tients having central tumours including 2 pelvic lesions, 1 in 12 pati ents with proximal tumours, and 1 in 7 patients with distal tumours. T he multivariate regression test showed that the tumour site (central) is an influencing factor in the appearance of surgical complications. In central tumours, the surgical complication rate increases after pre operative irradiation; however, it is affected by the increase of the ratio of patients with pelvic tumours.