AN INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW OF SARCOMAS OF THE LARGE AND SMALL-INTESTINE

BACKGROUND: This study was done to review the institutional experience with the treatment of sarcoma of the small or large intestine. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-nine patients admitted between the years 1959 and 1987, with a diagnosis of sarcoma of the small or large bowel form the basi s of this review. RESULTS: At referral, 74 percent of the patients pre sented with peritoneal sarcomatosis. Only six patients underwent compl ete resection, The overall five-year survival rate was 20 percent, Pat ients with low grade tumors had median and five-year survival rates of 33.3 months and 44 percent, respectively, while patients with high gr ade tumors had median and five-year survival rates of 22.4 months and zero percent, respectively, p=0.01, Patients undergoing complete resec tion had a median survival period of 33.3 months, while patients recei ving less than complete resection had a median survival period of 15.4 months, p=0.003. Factors found to be significant by multifactorial an alysis included tumor size, grade, stage at presentation, and invasion of adjacent organs, CONCLUSIONS: Sarcoma of the small and large bowel is an uncommon entity. Survival rates are relatively poor. Aggressive surgical intervention is the mainstay of therapy.