Primary retroperitoneal sarcomas: a review of 18 cases

During a 15-year period (1971-1985) we managed 18 patients with retroperito neal soft-tissue sarcomas. The age, gender, type of clinical presentation, histological type and tumour grade of all these patients were recorded. Lip osarcoma was the most common retroperitoneal sarcoma. Symptoms of the disea se are vague and nonspecific. Complete tumour resection was feasible in les s than half of the patients. According to the extent of resection, patients who underwent resection of all gross disease fared better than those not c ompletely resected. The 5-year survival rate of patients with complete tumo ur resection was better than those with partial resection or biopsy (57.1% vs 27.3% respectively). Even after complete tumour resection, only 57.1% of patients survived by 5 years. By 10 years, all of them developed local rec urrence, which was usually the cause of death. Med Sci Res 27:269-271 (C) 1 999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.