Importance of surgical resection in the successful management of soft tissue sarcoma

Hypothesis: A systemic disease-free state necessitates a local disease-free state. This cannot be accomplished without a properly performed resection by an experienced surgical team. Successful local management of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) may lead to improved disease-free survival. An STS treatment protocol using wide local excision followed by radiation therapy is effect ive in achieving local tumor control and survival similar to that of multip le-modality regimens, but with lower morbidity. Design: Retrospective cohort review (August 1, 1987, to May 6, 1998). Setting: Referral to a single musculoskeletal oncologic surgeon, with surge ry performed at a tertiary care medical renter in a large urban area. Patients: Ninety patients with STS of the trunk or extremities. Interventions: Preoperative evaluation included surveillance computed tomog raphic scan of the chest, magnetic resonance imaging of primary site to ass ess tumor extent and to plan the surgical approach, and angiography if vasc ular bypass was proposed. Wide local excision of tumor was performed, with concomitant vascular bypass and/or complex plastic reconstruction as needed . Postoperative radiation therapy was given in most patients. Adjuvant chem otherapy was used selectively. Main Outcome Measures: Morbidity, local recurrence rates, and survival. Results: Histologically negative margins were obtained in 89 (99%) of 90 pa tients; 86 (96%) remained free of local disease at follow-up. Five patients died of systemic metastatic disease. Conclusion: Excellent local control obtained with aggressive, appropriate s urgery followed by radiation therapy in most patients and chemotherapy in o nly selective highrisk patients leads to excellent survival, with low morbi dity and good functional outcome.