Do surgical margin and local recurrence influence survival in soft tissue sarcomas?

Outcomes of non-angiosarcoma radiation-associated soft tissue sarcomas of the chest

BACKGROUND

Radiation-associated soft tissue sarcomas (RA-STS) are rare complications of patients receiving radiation therapy (RT) and are generally associated with a poor prognosis. Most of the literature surrounding RA-STS of the chest is centered on angiosarcoma. Therefore, we aim to document the management and outcome of patients with non-angiosarcoma RA-STS of the chest.

METHODS

We reviewed 17 patients (all female, median age 65 years) diagnosed with RA-STS. The most common primary malignancy was breast carcinoma (n = 15), with a median RT dose of 57.9 Gy. All patients underwent surgical resection; five patients (29%) received radiotherapy; and five patients (29%) received peri-operative chemotherapy.

RESULTS

The 5-year local recurrence and metastatic-free survival were 61% and 60%, while the 5-year disease-specific survival was 53%. Local recurrence was associated with death due to disease (HR 9.06, p = 0.01). Complications occurred in nine of patients, most commonly due to a wound complication (n = 7). At the most recent follow-up, the median Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score was 63%.

CONCLUSION

RA-STS involving the chest wall are aggressive tumors with a high risk of local relapse and death due to disease. Local recurrence was associated with death due to disease; as such, we recommend aggressive surgical management with evaluation for adjuvant therapies.

Local recurrence rates of superficial versus deep soft tissue sarcoma

INTRODUCTION

Soft tissue sarcomas are a group of malignancies that commonly occur in the extremities. As deep lesions may exist within the confines of the muscular fascia, we postulate that local recurrence rates are higher for superficial soft tissue sarcomas managed by the standard of care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review was performed on 90 patients who underwent surgical resection of soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity from 2007 to 2015. Patients with minimum 2-year follow-up and adequate operative, pathologic, and clinical outcomes data were included.

RESULTS

Mean age was 54 ± 18 years with 49 (54.4%) patients being male. Lesions in 77.8% of cases were deep, and 22.2% were superficial to fascia. Following the index surgical resection, a total of 33 (36.7%) patients had positive margins. A total of 17 (18.9%) patients had a local recurrence. Overall, 3-year survival was 92.7%, and 5-year survival was 79.0%. Five-year recurrence-free survival of deep sarcomas was 91.1% versus 58.2% of superficial lesions (p = 0.006). Patients with higher tumor depth had lower odds of experiencing a local recurrence (HR 0.26 [95% CI 0.09-0.72]). Local recurence rates was also associated with positive surgical margins on initial resection (33.3% versus 12.3%) (p = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

In this series, superficial tumor depth was associated with local recurrence of soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity following surgical resection. Positive surgical margins was also associated with local recurrence.

Impact of resection margin on outcome in soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities treated with limb-sparing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

The standard curative treatments for extremity soft tissue sarcoma (ESTS) include surgical resection with negative margins and perioperative radiotherapy. However, the optimal resection margin remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes in ESTS between microscopically positive margin (R1) and microscopically negative margin (R0) according to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) (R + 1 mm) classification.

METHODS

Medical records of patients with localized ESTS who underwent primary limb-sparing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy between 2004 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were followed for at least 5 years or till local or distant recurrence was diagnosed during follow-up. Outcomes were local and distal recurrences and survival.

RESULTS

A total of 52 patients were included in this study, in which 17 underwent R0 resection and 35 underwent R1 resection. No significant differences were observed in rates of local recurrence (11.4% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.062) or distant recurrence (40.0% vs. 41.18%, p = 0.935) between R0 and R1 groups. Multivariate analysis showed that distant recurrences was associated with a Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer (FNCLCC) grade (Grade III vs. I, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 12.53, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.67-58.88, p = 0.001) and tumor location (lower vs. upper extremity, aHR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.07-0.7, p = 0.01). Kaplan-Meier plots showed no significant differences in local (p = 0.444) or distant recurrent-free survival (p = 0.161) between R0 and R1 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

R1 margins, when complemented by radiotherapy, did not significantly alter outcomes of ESTS as R0 margins. Further studies with more histopathological types and larger cohorts are necessary to highlight the path forward.

Functional outcomes of reconstructive flap surgery for soft tissue sarcoma: Long-term outcomes of functional restoration using innervated muscle transplantation

Functional outcomes associated with prognostic factors and innervated muscle transplantation after wide soft tissue sarcoma resection remain unclear. We retrospectively examined the functional outcomes of reconstructive flap surgery for soft tissue sarcoma. Twenty patients underwent innervated muscle transplantation with pedicled or free flaps for functional reconstruction of resected muscles. Thirteen latissimus dorsi muscles and one vastus lateralis muscle combined with an anterolateral thigh flap were transferred as free flaps using the epi-perineural suture technique. Six latissimus dorsi muscles were transferred as pedicled flaps with neural continuity. Postoperative functional outcomes were assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores for the upper and lower extremities of 22 and 24 patients, respectively. The mean MSTS score for all patients was 82.3 at 12 months postoperatively. The mean scores for patients who underwent reconstruction with pedicled and free flaps were 89.2 and 77.1, respectively. The MSTS scores for the lower extremity, tumor size ≥5 cm, and free flap reconstruction were significantly lower than those for the upper extremity, tumor size <5 cm, and pedicled flap reconstruction (P = 0.02, 0.37, and 0.008, respectively). The postoperative MSTS score for innervated muscle transplantation was 76.7 at 12 months and was significantly higher (83.7) at 24 months (P = 0.003). Functional outcomes were significantly associated with tumor location, tumor size, and reconstructive flap type based on the MSTS scores. Innervated muscle transplantation improved functional outcomes at 24 months postoperatively via sufficient recovery of the innervated muscle, not the compensatory recovery of the remaining muscle.

Surgical Margins in Musculoskeletal Sarcoma

» Negative margin resection of musculoskeletal sarcomas is associated with reduced risk of local recurrence.» There is limited evidence to support an absolute margin width of soft tissue or bone that correlates with reduced risk of local recurrence.» Factors intrinsic to the tumor, including histologic subtype, grade, growth pattern and neurovascular involvement impact margin status and local recurrence, and should be considered when evaluating a patient's individual risk after positive margins.» Appropriate use of adjuvant therapy, critical analysis of preoperative advanced cross-sectional imaging, and the involvement of a multidisciplinary team are essential to obtain negative margins when resecting sarcomas.

Epidemiology and survival factors of appendicular myxofibrosarcoma: a SEER-retrospective study

Background

The low incidence of myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) makes high power studies difficult to perform. Demographic and prognostic factors for MFS and how they differ from all extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize a large cohort of patients with MFS and evaluate epidemiologic and survival factors when compared to all STS.

Materials and methods

We performed a retrospective review of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2000 to 2015 to identify 1,440 patients diagnosed with MFS and 12,324 with STS. Survival curves were creased using Kaplan-Meier, and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify hazard ratios (HRs).

Results

Overall survival was greater for STS than MFS (79% vs. 67%). Patients with MFS had a higher average age at diagnosis than STS (62 vs. 56), and older age was strongly associated with decreased survivorship for MFS (HR = 7.94). A greater proportion of patients under 30 diagnosed with MFS were female when compared to STS (49.6% vs. 45.4%). The incidence of MFS and STS increased over the 15-year period, with MFS increasing at a greater rate than STS (1.25% vs. 2.59%). Survival increased for patients diagnosed after 2008 for both STS (9.4%) and MFS (13.2%).

Conclusions

There are differences between patient demographics and survival factors when comparing MFS to all STS. Monitoring changes in demographic and survival trends for rare STS subtypes like MFS is important to improve diagnostic algorithms and treatment options.

Low local recurrence rates following marginal surgical resection of non-coelomic Atypical Lipomatous Tumours/Well-differentiated Liposarcomas

INTRODUCTION

High rates of local recurrence (LR) have been reported following resection of extremity Atypical lipomatous tumours/Well-differentiated liposarcomas (ALTs). This retrospective study of patients who underwent resection of primary deep extremity and trunk ALTs at a specialist sarcoma centre aims to assess morbidity and factors associated with low local recurrence rates (LRR).

METHODS

To review a homogeneous cohort of patients with low-grade disease, tumours with known high-risk histological features were excluded. Prognostic variables potentially influencing local recurrence (LR) (age, size, site, margin status, and histological findings) were analysed. Endpoints were LR, distant recurrence (DR) and local disease-free survival (LDFS).

RESULTS

127 patients were identified, with median follow-up of 54 months (0-235). Median tumour size was 17.5 cm (5-36). 85 % occurred in the lower limb. 93.7 % underwent marginal resection. No patients received radiotherapy. Median hospital stay was 3 days (0-16). 7.9 % returned to theatre for evacuation of haematoma or infected seroma and 18.1 % had outpatient seroma aspiration. Surgical margins were R0/R1 in 93.7 % of patients and R2 in 6.3 % with a LR rate of 8.4 % and 75 % respectively at median time of 54 months. One- and 5-year LDFS was 100 % and 88.4 %, respectively. DR rate was 0.8 % (1/127) this patient had pleomorphic liposarcomatous transformation on recurrence and subsequently developed distant metastases. No patients died of disease.

CONCLUSION

Function-preserving marginal resection of non-coelomic ALTs has low morbidity, low LR and extremely low rates of distant relapse. Patients with lower limb ALT were found to have significantly lower LR, which may impact follow-up protocols.

The prognostic significance of surgical resection margins for local recurrence, distant metastasis, and overall survival in sarcoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Surgical resection with microscopically negative margins constitutes one of the key elements of a curative therapeutic approach for localized sarcomas. However, the prognostic value of quantitative margin width remains controversial. We sought to determine the prognostic significance of margin status and margin width for local recurrence (LR), distant recurrence (DR), and overall survival.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of 210 patients undergoing resection of localized sarcoma between 1997 and 2018 at a national sarcoma reference center.

RESULTS

Logistic regression did not reveal an effect of metric margin width as a prognostic factor for LR (odds ratio [OR] = 0.98, p = 0.574), DR (OR = 1, p = 0.908), or overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.98, 95% confidence interval = 0.73-1.20, p = 0.609). Subgroup analysis revealed no differences between complete first resections (R0) and re-resections (re-R0) following unplanned R1-resections for LR (p = 0.727) and overall survival (p = 0.125), but a significantly higher DR-rate in re-R0 cases (p = 0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

Achieving a negative margin is essential in sarcoma surgery, however, metric margin width was not associated with disease-specific outcomes. Re-resection of unplanned R1-resections should be performed to control for LR and overall survival rates. As re-R0 cases were at significantly higher risk of DR, these patients should be followed up closely in standardized surveillance protocols.

Is the Thickness of the Margin Associated With Local Recurrence and Survival in Patients With Myxofibrosarcoma?

BACKGROUND

Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is a spectrum of aggressive soft tissue fibroblastic neoplasms characterized by variable myxoid stroma, pleomorphism, and a distinctive curved vascular pattern; these tumors are associated with a high likelihood of recurrence. Better local tumor control (a tumor-free margin) is believed to be important to minimize the risk of recurrence, but the effect of surgical resection margin status on local recurrence and survival in MFS is not as well-characterized as it might be.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) Is margin width associated with local recurrence? (2) Is there a relationship between greater margin thickness and improved overall and disease-free survival (DFS)? (3) Is worsening French Federation of Cancer Centers grade associated with local recurrence and poorer overall survival?

METHODS

Using a database of patients with bone and soft tissue tumors at a tertiary university hospital, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 282 patients who had soft tissue sarcomas and who had been surgically treated by a multidisciplinary bone and soft tissue tumor care team between January 2010 and December 2021. Of these 282 patients, 38 were identified as having MFS. Patients who received surgical care for MFS outside our institution (unplanned resection) (four patients) and whose surgical margins were not reported as microscopic numerical data (10) were excluded from the analysis. We estimated survival and local recurrence and examined factors potentially influencing these outcomes. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical margin distance (in mm), and disease-related outcomes were recorded. The minimum follow-up was 3 months (median 41.5 months, range 3 to 128 months).

RESULTS

Overall 1-year local recurrence-free rates were 66.7% (95% CI 50% to 88%). Patients with positive margins were more likely to have local recurrence than patients with negative margins (HR 10.91 [95% CI 2.61 to 45.66]; p = 0.001). Patients with an inadequate margin (positive margin or a negative margin of 1 mm or less) had a greater risk of local recurrence (HR 9.96 [95% CI 1.22 to 81.44]; p = 0.032). Patients with positive margins or margins less than or equal to 1 mm had worse 2-year local recurrence-free survival than did those with margins of greater than 1 mm (46.9% [95% CI 16% to 76%] versus 91.7% [95% CI 75% to 100%]; p = 0.005). The mean overall survival was 98 months (95% CI 77.2 to 118.8). The Kaplan-Meier overall 1-, 2- and 5-year estimated rates of survival were 88% (95% CI 75% to 100%), 79.2% (95% CI 64.5% to 97.2%), and 73.5% (95% CI 57.2 % to 94.5%), respectively. Positive surgical margins were associated with decreased overall survival (HR 6.96 [95% CI 1.39 to 34.89]; p = 0.018). There was a mean DFS time of 4.25 months (95% CI 0.92 to 7.59) in microscopically positive patients, 75.5 months (95% CI 37.47 to 113.53) in patients with margins 1 mm or less, and 118 months (95% CI 99.23 to 136.77) in patients with margins over 1 mm. There was a statistical difference between DFS times according to surgical margin classification (p < 0.001). With the numbers we had, we could not detect any difference between the histologic grades determined by the French Federation of Cancer Centers grading system in terms of local recurrence (HR 3.80 [95% CI 0.76 to 18.94]; p = 0.103) and overall survival (HR 6.91 [95% CI 0.79 to 60.13]; p = 0.080). Tumor size was the prognostic factor associated with a higher local recurrence rate among all factors analyzed as univariate (HR 1.18 [95% CI 1.05 to 1.32]; p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

A surgical procedure with a sufficient negative surgical margin distance appears to be associated with a lower proportion of patients who experience a local recurrence and is associated with overall patient survival. It is difficult to define what a sufficient margin is, but in our patients, it appears to be greater than 1 mm.Level of Evidence Level III, therapeutic study.

Tumor size and surgical margins are important prognostic factors of synovial sarcoma - A retrospective study

Background

Synovial Sarcoma (SS) is a rare soft tissue sarcoma. Mean time to get a SS diagnosis from the onset of symptoms is 10 years, furthermore, SS is associated with late metastasis. Surgery is the main treatment option, whose quality deeply affects SS outcomes, and it can be associated to preoperative or post-operative radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is considered very effective in Children, while in adults its efficacy is still under debate. The aim of this study was to investigate the oncologic results in SS treatment and to identify the risk factors for local and systemic control of the disease.

Methods

From 1994 to 2018, 211 patients affected by SS were treated in 3 Referral Centres of Orthopaedic Oncology. One hundred seventy-seven patients were included in the study, the median follow-up length was 96 months (5-374).

Results

Overall Survival on the Kaplan Meier Analyses was 80%, 70% and 56% at 5, 10 and 20 years. In multivariate analyses, OS correlated with tumour size and negative surgical margins. Chemotherapy use wasn't associated with better survival although patients who underwent CT had bigger and more aggressive tumours.

Conclusions

Our findings suggests that surgery with negative margins is the most important factor in Synovial Sarcoma. Adjuvant treatments as chemotherapy and radiation therapy didn't change the disease's course.

The added value of the visual analysis of DWI in post-surgery follow-up of soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities: do we really need ADC?

INTRODUCTION

MRI has a fundamental role in the follow-up of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs). However, the differentiation of recurrences/residual disease from post-surgical changes is a complex task, with a central role for the radiologist.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 64 post-surgery MRI for extremities STSs. MR protocol included DWI (b = 0, 1000). Two radiologists were asked to consensually evaluate: presence/absence of tumoral nodules, lesion conspicuity, imaging diagnostic confidence, ADC values, and DWI overall image quality. The gold standard was histology or MR follow-up.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven lesions in 29/64 patients were confirmed as local recurrence or residual disease (n = 16 ≤ 1 cm) with 1 MR false positive. On DWI, the conspicuity of the proved tumor lesions resulted excellent in 29/37, good in 3/37 and low in 5/37, higher than conventional imaging. A statistically significant higher diagnostic confidence of DWI compared to conventional imaging (p < 0.001) and DCE (p = 0.009) was observed. In the 37 histologically confirmed lesions, mean ADC value was 1.31 × 10^-9 m²/s. Overall scar tissues mean ADC was 1.70 × 10^-9 m²/s. DWI quality resulted adequate in 81% and unsatisfactory in 5%.

CONCLUSIONS

In this highly heterogeneous group of tumors, the role of ADC seems to be limited. Based on our experience, looking at DWI images makes the lesions promptly and easily detectable. This technique gives less deceptive findings making the reader more confident in detecting/excluding tumoral tissue; the main drawback is the image quality and the lack of standardization.

Local relapse of soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities or trunk wall operated on with wide margins without radiation therapy

BACKGROUND

The quality of surgical margins is the most important factor affecting local control in soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Despite this, there is no universally accepted consensus on the definition of an adequate surgical margin or on which patients should be offered radiation therapy. This study focuses on local control and its prognostic factors in patients with trunk wall and extremity STS.

METHODS

Adult patients with a final diagnosis of trunk wall or extremity STS referred to a single tertiary referral centre between August 1987 and December 2016 were identified from a prospective institutional database. Patients were treated according to a protocol instituted in 1987. The classification of surgical margins and indications for radiation therapy were based on anatomy and strict definition of surgical margins as metric distance to the resection border. Local treatment was defined as adequate if patients received either surgery with wide margins alone or marginal surgery combined with radiation therapy. Margins were considered wide if the tumour was excised with pathological margins greater than 2.5 cm or with an uninvolved natural anatomical barrier. After treatment, patients were followed up with local imaging and chest X-ray: 5 years for high-grade STS, 10 years for low-grade STS.

RESULTS

A total of 812 patients were included with a median follow-up of 5.8 (range 0.5-19.5) years. Forty-four patients had a grade 1 tumour: there were no instances of recurrence in this group thus they were excluded from further analysis. Five-year local control in the 768 patients with grade 2-3 STS was 90.1 per cent in patients receiving adequate local treatment according to the protocol. Altogether, 333 patients (43.4 per cent) were treated with wide surgery alone and their 5-year local control rate was 91.1 per cent. Among patients treated with wide surgery alone, deep location was the only factor adversely associated with local relapse risk in multivariable analysis; 5-year local control was 95.3 per cent in superficial and 88.3 per cent in deep-sited sarcomas (hazards ratio 3.154 (95% c.i. 1.265 to 7.860), P = 0.014).

CONCLUSION

A high local control rate is achievable with surgery alone for a substantial proportion of patients with STS of the extremities or superficial trunk wall.

Sarcoma Imaging Surveillance

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous group of solid tumors. There are many histologic subtypes. The prognosis after treatment may be estimated by the analysis of the type of tumor, grade, depth, size at diagnosis, and age of the patient. These type of sarcomas most commonly metastasize to the lungs and may have a relatively high rate of local recurrence, depending on the histologic type and surgical margins. Patients with recurrence have a poorer prognosis. The surveillance of patients with STS is therefore extremely important. This review analyzes the role of MR imaging and US in detecting local recurrence.

Haemorrhagic soft-tissue sarcoma: Oncological outcomes and prognostic factors for survival

INTRODUCTION

Haemorrhagic soft-tissue sarcomas (HSTS) are characterised by aggressive local growth and highly metastatic behaviour. We aimed to describe oncological outcomes and prognostic factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective review including 64 patients treated with palliation (n = 7), with limb salvage surgery (LSS) (n = 9), with neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) + LSS (n = 12), with LSS + adjuvant RT (n = 30) or amputation (n = 6). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis estimated overall survival (OS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS). After uni- and multivariate analysis, prognostic factors affecting OS, MFS and LRFS were identified.

RESULTS

Median age was 67 years (IQR 23 years) with median follow-up of 11 months (IQR 28 months). All cases were high grade. Eight (13%) had pulmonary metastases at presentation and another 40 (63%) developed metastases after median 9 months (IQR 19 months). Median OS was 12 months (IQR 38 months), and estimated OS after two-years was 15.9% and 52.9% for patients with and without metastatic disease at presentation, respectively. Improved OS was associated with negative resection margins (p = 0.031), RT (p = 0.045), neoadjuvant RT (versus adjuvant RT, p = 0.044) and amputation (versus LSS, p < 0.001). MFS was 35.1% after two-years. LR occurred in 18 of 51 (35.3%) patients with surgically treated localised disease. LRFS was 63.4% after two-years and significantly affected by a negative margin (p = 0.042) and RT (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Haemorrhagic soft-tissue sarcomas should be excised, either with amputation or LSS with a clear resection margin. If LSS is attempted, neoadjuvant RT reduces the risk of tumour spillage and early LR, enhances the feasibility of achieving clear resection margins, and offers superior overall survival compared to adjuvant RT.

Scar revision for incompletely or narrowly excised soft tissue sarcomas in dogs

Objective

Describe clinical features of dogs undergoing scar revision for incompletely or narrowly excised soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) in the absence of gross disease and to determine local recurrence rates following scar revision.

Animals

Thirty-three dogs with 33 scars.

Procedures

Medical records were reviewed to collect data on signalment, tumor details, pre-surgical diagnostic tests, surgical and pathologic findings for both the initial and revision surgeries, and clinical outcomes. Descriptive statistics were generated.

Results

For the initial excision, cytology was performed before surgery in 45.5% (15/33) of dogs, and information on surgical margins was rarely reported [4.0% (1/25) of circumferential and 12.0% (3/25) of deep margins]. Microscopic evidence of residual STS was identified in 18.2% of scars. Recurrence occurred in 3.0% (1/33) of dogs [median follow-up of 1127 d (1 to 3192 d)]; this dog had had no evidence of residual tumor in the scar revision pathology.

Conclusions

Despite the low identification rate of residual tumor, the local tumor recurrence rate was 3.0%, which is lower than what is historically reported for incompletely or narrowly excised STSs.

Clinical relevance

Scar revision for incompletely or narrowly excised STSs resulted in durable tumor remission in the dogs of this study. Pre-surgical diagnostic tests were not often performed in this study; these may be considered before the first excision to plan surgical margins for potentially reducing the incidence of incomplete or narrow excision. Surgical reports should include details on circumferential and deep margins to guide pathologic interpretation and future scar revision, if required.

Postoperative complications and oncologic outcomes after multimodal therapy of localized high risk soft tissue sarcoma

BACKGROUND

Standard therapy for localized high-risk soft tissue sarcoma includes surgical resection and neoadjuvant or adjuvant radiation therapy (± chemotherapy and locoregional hyperthermia). No difference in oncologic outcomes for patients treated with neoadjuvant and adjuvant radiation therapy was reported, whereas side effect profiles differ. The aim of this analysis was to analyse oncologic outcomes and postoperative complications in patients treated with multimodal treatment.

METHODS

Oncologic outcomes and major wound complications (MWC, subclassified as wound healing disorder, infection, abscess, fistula, seroma and hematoma) were evaluated in 74 patients with localized high-risk soft tissue sarcoma of extremities and trunk undergoing multimodal treatment, and also separately for the subgroup of lower extremity tumors. Clinical factors and treatment modalities (especially neoadjuvant vs. adjuvant radiotherapy) were evaluated regarding their prognostic value and impact on postoperative wound complications.

RESULTS

Oncologic outcomes were dependent on number of high risk features (tumor size, depth to superficial fascia and grading), but not on therapy sequencing (however with higher risk patients in the neoadjuvant group). Different risk factors influenced different subclasses of wound healing complications. Slightly higher MWC-rates were observed in patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy, compared to adjuvant radiotherapy, although only with a trend to statistical significance (31.8% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.059). However, except for wound infections, no significant difference for other subclasses of postoperative complications was observed between neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy. Diabetes was confirmed as a major risk factor for immune-related wound complications.

CONCLUSION

Rates of major wound complications in this cohort are comparable to published data, higher rates of wound infections were observed after neoadjuvant radiotherapy. Tumor localization, patient age and diabetes seem to be major risk factors. The number of risk factors for high risk soft tissue sarcoma seem to influence DMFS. Neoadjuvant treatment increases the risk only for wound infection treated with oral or intravenous antibiotic therapy and appears to be a safe option at an experienced tertiary center in absence of other risk factors.

Shortening the Time Interval for the Referral of Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcoma to Expert Centers Using Mobile Health: Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

According to guidelines, all patients with sarcoma must be managed from initial diagnosis at expert sarcoma centers. However, in everyday practice, the time interval to an expert center visit can be long, which delays presentation to an expert multidisciplinary tumor board and increases the risk of inappropriate management, negatively affecting local tumor control and prognosis. The advent of mobile health offers an easy way to facilitate communication and cooperation between general health care providers (eg, general practitioners and radiologists) and sarcomas experts. We developed a mobile app (Sar'Connect) based on the algorithm designed by radiologists from the French Sarcoma Group. Through a small number of easy-to-answer questions, Sar'Connect provides personalized advice for the management of patients and contact information for the closest expert center.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study is the first to assess this mobile app's potential benefits in reducing the time interval for patient referral to an expert center according to the initial clinical characteristics of the soft tissue tumor.

METHODS

From May to December 2021, we extracted tumor mass data for 78 patients discussed by the multidisciplinary tumor boards at 3 centers of the French Sarcoma Group. We applied the Sar'Connect algorithm to these data and estimated the time interval between the first medical description of the soft tissue mass and the referral to expert center. We then compared this estimated time interval with the observed time interval.

RESULTS

We found that the use of Sar'Connect could potentially shorten the time interval to an expert center by approximately 7.5 months (P<.001). Moreover, for half (31/60, 52%) of the patients with a malignant soft tissue tumor, Sar'Connect could have avoided inappropriate management outside of the reference center. We did not identify a significant determinant for shortening the time interval for referral.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, promoting the use of a simple mobile app is an innovative and straightforward means to potentially accelerate both the referral and management of patients with soft tissue sarcoma at expert centers.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Malignant or Aggressive Primary Musculoskeletal Tumor-Staging and Surveillance: 2022 Update

Malignant or aggressive primary musculoskeletal tumors are rare and encompass a wide variety of bone and soft tissue tumors. Given the most common site for metastasis from these primary musculoskeletal tumors is to the lung, chest imaging is integral in both staging and surveillance. Extrapulmonary metastases are rarely encountered with only a few exceptions. Following primary tumor resection, surveillance of the primary tumor site is generally recommended. Local surveillance imaging recommendations differ between primary tumors of bone origin versus soft tissue origin. This document consolidates the current evidence and expert opinion for the imaging staging and surveillance of these tumors into five clinical scenarios. The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer-reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances in which peer-reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

Low rate of function-limiting side effects with high-dose adjuvant radiotherapy in high-grade soft tissue extremity sarcomas: a retrospective single-center analysis over 10 years

Background

Over the years, radiotherapy has been established as a tool to improve local control for high-grade sarcomas. Although the European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines has taken notice of a shift toward a neoadjuvant radiotherapy approach, the American Society for Radiation Oncology guidelines clearly favor a neoadjuvant approach, citing debilitating long-term adverse effects when radiotherapy is applied postoperatively. In this study, we examined these irradiation-associated adverse events for adjuvant radiotherapy and focused on the prognostic factors for disease outcome, including local control.

Methods

In this retrospective study, data for 106 patients with extremity soft-tissue sarcomas diagnosed between 1997 and 2021, of which 40 received adjuvant radiotherapy, were collected from the clinical and radiological information systems of a high-volume sarcoma treatment center. These data were then analyzed for radiation-associated side effects as well as predictive factors for overall survival, disease-free survival, local control, and surgical complications.

Results

Radiotherapy was beneficial to patients improving local control, especially for high-grade sarcomas, even when those were resected with negative margins. Side effects due to radiotherapy occurred in 87.5% of the patients, and these effects primarily included radiation dermatitis in 67.5%; however, only 40.0% had any adverse event of ≥ grade 2 according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Long-term function-limiting side effects occurred in 45.0% of the patients; 10% exhibited ≥ grade 2 function-limiting adverse events. Greater time between surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy was beneficial for the patients, whereas joint infiltrating sarcomas were associated with more severe long term, function-limiting adverse events. 28.3% of the patients experienced a recurrence at any location (median time 18.35 months) and in 16% the recurrence was local (median time 16.11 months), resulting in 1, 3, and 5 year disease-free survival rates of 74.1, 58.9, and 38.5% and local control rates of 78.7, 61.6, and 42.8% were observed, respectively.

Conclusion

Recurrences may be avoided with high-dose radiation, especially for high-grade G2 and G3 sarcomas, even after complete R0 resection. This resulted in a low rate of severe long-term function-limiting adverse events. Thus, adjuvant radiotherapy should be seriously considered when planning patient treatment, especially when treating patients that present with high-grade sarcomas.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00432-022-04423-1.

Nomograms predicting local and distant recurrence and disease-specific mortality for R0/R1 soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities

Background

Prognostic models for patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremities have been developed from large multi-institutional datasets with mixed results. We aimed to develop predictive nomograms for sarcoma-specific survival (SSS) and, for the first time, long-term local recurrence (LR) and distant recurrence (DR) in patients with STS of the extremities treated at our institution.

Patients and methods

Data from patients treated at Humanitas Cancer Center from 1997 to 2015 were analyzed. Variable selection was based on the clinical knowledge and multivariable regression splines algorithm. Perioperative treatments were always included in the model. Prognostic models were developed using Cox proportional hazards model, and model estimates were plotted in nomograms predicting SSS at 5 and 10 years and LR and DR at 2, 5, and 10 years. Model performance was estimated internally via bootstrapping, in terms of optimism-corrected discrimination (Harrell C-index) and calibration (calibration plots).

Results

Data on 517 patients were analyzed. At 5 and 10 years, SSS was 68.1% [95% confidence interval (CI), 63.8–72.1] and 55.6% (50.5–60.3), respectively. LR was 79.1% (95% CI, 75.3–82.4), 71.1% (95% CI, 66.7–75.1), and 66.0% (95% CI, 60.7–70.7) at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively, whereas DR was 65.9% (95% CI, 61.6–69.9), 57.5% (95% CI, 53.0–61.8), and 52.1% (95% CI, 47.1–56.8) at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively. SSS nomogram included age, gender, margins, tumor size, grading, and histotype. LR and DR nomograms incorporated mostly the same variables, except for age for DR; LR nomogram did not include gender but included anatomic site. The optimism-corrected C-indexes were 0.73 and 0.72 for SSS at 5 and 10 years, respectively; 0.65, 0.64, and 0.64 for LR at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively; and 0.68 for DR at 2, 5, and 10 years. Predicted probabilities were close to the observed ones for all outcomes.

Conclusions

We developed and validated three nomograms for STS of the extremities predicting the probability of SSS at 5 and 10 years and LR and DR at 2, 5, and 10 years. By accounting for the perioperative treatment, these models allow prediction for future patients who had no perioperative treatment, thus being useful in the clinical decision-making process.

Clinical outcomes of brain metastasectomy from soft tissue and bone sarcomas: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Brain metastasis in sarcomas is associated with a poor prognosis. Data regarding prognostic factors and clinical outcomes of surgical resection of brain metastasis from sarcomas are limited. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate survival outcomes post-brain metastasectomy for patients with soft tissue and bone sarcomas.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted examining survival outcomes among adults and children with soft tissue and bone sarcoma undergoing brain metastasectomy, in the English language from inception up to May 31, 2021. Two reviewers independently evaluated and screened the literature, extracted the data, and graded the included studies. The body of evidence was evaluated and graded according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for Cohort Studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Series. Results were synthesized using descriptive methods. A meta-analysis was not possible due to the low quality and heterogeneity of studies.

RESULTS

Ten studies published between 1994 and 2020 were included: three were retrospective cohort studies and seven were case series. 507 patients were included, of whom 269 underwent brain metastasectomy. The median follow-up period ranged between 14 and 29 months. The median survival period after metastasectomy ranged from 7 to 25 months. The most common prognostic factors associated with survival included presenting performance status, age, number of brain metastases, presence of lung metastases, and peri-operative radiation therapy administration.

DISCUSSION

Although the level of evidence is low, retrospective studies support that brain metastasectomy can be performed with reasonable post-operative survival in selected individuals.

Liposarcoma: A ‘Beer Belly’ in Disguise

Liposarcoma is a locally aggressive tumor that may originate in soft tissue sites such as the retroperitoneum or the extremities, or less frequently, from the bone. The fatty tumor may have an insidious growth pattern and be present incidentally on imaging, or it may be present with symptoms such as small bowel or ureter obstruction. The diagnosis can be confirmed post-operatively via fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with the presence of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) homolog protein and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) gene amplification. The rate of recurrence may be high depending on the subtype of liposarcoma, so it is always recommended to have the patient undergo routine imaging every six months to a year. In this case report, we present a patient who presented with a massive, incidental liposarcoma found on imaging after coming to the emergency department for lower extremity trauma.

Outcomes of Wide Resection of Soft-Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremity: A Retrospective Analysis

Background

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a rare heterogeneous group of tumors. Good functional results can be achieved with tumor excision in combination with suitable supplemental adjuvant therapies if needed. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of wide resection of STS of the extremities.

Methodology

In this retrospective study, a total of 139 patients diagnosed with STS of the extremities by radiological and/or histopathological study/biopsy were included. All patients irrespective of metastasis were included.

Results

The mean age of the patients in our study was 43.5 ± 18.89 years. Overall, the mean tumor size was found to be 11.81 ± 6.218 cm. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma was the most common histology encountered (41%). Synovial sarcoma was the second most common histology encountered (14.38%). Recurrence was observed in 14 (10.1%) patients. The overall survival was 64.7% in our study.

Conclusions

The surgical margin achieved during the surgery is the most detrimental factor in local tumor control, and the overall survival of the patient after resection mainly depends on the stage of the tumor.

Is there a place for definitive radiotherapy in the treatment of unresectable soft-tissue sarcoma? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Definitive external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is an unusual treatment of unresectable soft-tissue sarcomas (STS). Recent technical innovations and physical advantages of particle therapies may improve results of this therapeutic option. The role of this review was to report the clinical results of photon- and particle-based EBRT in unresectable STS.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the literature on Pubmed database to identify studies investigating the efficacy and safety of EBRT. The primary endpoint was local control (LC) and secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse events in a subset of patients with gross disease STS.

RESULTS

We identified 29 studies involving 1409 patients (pts) evaluating photon (n = 18; 956 pts), proton (n = 1; 21 pts), carbon ion (n = 2; 152 pts), neutron (n = 7; 259 pts) or pion (n = 1; 21 pts) therapy. Definitive EBRT achieves valuable 5-year LC rates of 28-73% with photon and 52-69% with particle therapies. Most local failures (66-100%) occurred within 3 years. Long-term disease control can be achieved in a fraction of patients, with 5-year PFS and OS of 0-39% and 24.7-63%, respectively. The rate of severe adverse events was highly variable with photons, <15% in proton and carbon ion therapy, whereas 25 to 50% of patients treated with neutrons and pions presented severe AE. While a dose higher or equal 64 Gy seem to improve the prognosis, delivering a dose higher or equal 68 Gy dramatically increases severe adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Definitive EBRT with dose 64-66 Gy seems to be a safe and efficient treatment for unresectable STS. Future clinical trials should assess the potential of biomarkers of response, thus identifying patients that could benefit from local treatment.

Local Recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Revisited: Is there a Role for "Selective" Radiation?

BACKGROUND

Radiation therapy (RT) is often utilized in cases of high-grade soft tissue sarcoma (STS), but there remain situations where treatment is with surgical excision alone. Our goals were to determine (1) the local recurrence (LR) rate with and without perioperative RT and (2) associations between local recurrence, patient, tumor, and treatment variables.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of 165 consecutive STS patients. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate variables associated with local recurrence.

RESULTS

LR occurred in 15/78 (19%) without RT, 4/29 (14%) with postoperative RT, and 0/58 with preoperative RT (p=0.002). We found increased rates of local recurrence at 24 months for myxofibrosarcoma (p=0.001) and no-RT (p=0.003). Myxofibrosarcoma accounted for 33 (20%) of the study patients and 12 (63%) of the local recurrences.

CONCLUSION

The LR rate in patients treated with surgery alone was disproportionately attributable to myxofibrosarcoma (11/23 cases, 48%). Other subtypes demonstrated a lower rate of LR in the absence of RT (4/55 cases, 7%), and no LR occurred when final margins were >2 mm. In certain circumstances treatment with a negative margin surgical resection followed by close observation is justifiable. RT is effective and should continue to be considered routinely in myxofibrosarcoma or when surgical margins are inadequate. Level of Evidence: III.

Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) clinical practice guidelines on the management of soft tissue tumors 2020 - Secondary publication

BACKGROUND

These clinical practice guidelines are intended to provide recommendations based on the best evidence obtained to date on key issues in clinical practice to improve the prognosis, diagnostic and therapeutic processes for patients with soft tissue tumors.

METHODS

The Guidelines Development Committee and Systematic Review Committee were composed of a multidisciplinary team of specialists who play an important role in soft tissue tumor care. Clinical questions (CQs) were determined by choosing key decision-making points based on Algorithms for the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue tumors. The guidelines were developed according to the "Medical Information Network Distribution Service (Minds) Handbook for Clinical Practice Guideline Development 2014" and "Minds Manual for Clinical Practice Guideline Development 2017." Recommendation strength was rated on two levels and the strength of evidence was rated on four levels. The recommendations were decided based on agreement by 70% or more voters.

RESULTS

Twenty-two CQs were chosen by the Guidelines Development Committee. The Systematic Review Committee reviewed the evidence concerning each CQ, a clinical value judgment was added by experts, and the text of each recommendation was determined.

CONCLUSION

We established 22 CQs and recommendations for key decision-making points in the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue tumors according to the Minds Clinical Practice Guideline development methods. We hope that these guidelines will assist the decision-making of all medical staff engaged in the treatment and diagnosis of soft tissue tumors, and eventually lead to improved soft tissue tumor care in the country.

Adult Soft-Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremities

➤

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) in adults comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors of mesenchymal origin that share similar biological patterns of local tumor growth and metastatic dissemination.

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The judicious use of imaging studies, biopsy techniques, and pathological evaluations is essential for accurate diagnosis and for planning treatment strategy.

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Wide local resection and radiation therapy form the cornerstone of management of high-grade STS. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy is questionable in the management of small (≤5 cm) superficial lesions that can be resected with negative margins. Chemotherapy given to patients who have nonmetastatic, high-grade STS results in varying benefit in terms of local tumor control and overall survival.

➤

Coordinated care by a multidisciplinary team of trained surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists has been documented to improve local tumor control and the overall survival of patients with STS.

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Although considerable progress in tumor diagnostics and targeted therapies has been made over the past 2 decades, recommendations and controversies relating to tumor imaging and margins of resection have not changed.

Reconstruction of Soft Tissue Defect With a Free Vascularized Anterolateral Thigh Flap After Resection of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Extremities

Objective

This study aims to determine outcomes and complications in functional reconstruction of soft tissue defects after surgical resection for soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) of extremities.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with STSs of extremities from May 2015 to April 2019 who underwent radical resection of STSs and reconstruction of soft tissue defect with free vascularized anterolateral thigh flap (FVALTP). A minimum 3‐month follow‐up was required for all the patients. Patient demographics and comorbidities, flap characteristics, postoperative complications, and time to heal were recorded. The functional outcomes of the reconstructed limbs were assessed by the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society（MSTS） scoring system.

Results

A total of 11 patients (four males and seven females) were included in the study. The mean age was 62 years (range: 29–84 years). The mean surface area was 151.4 cm² (range: from 64 cm² to 418cm²). The mean operation time was 126 min (range: 95–296 min). The mean follow‐up was 17.5 months (range: 6–34 months). The mean score of MSTS at last follow‐up was 26.2 (range: 12–29). Incision healed by first intention in eight patients. Incision healed by second intention in three patients. A patient who had received preoperative radiotherapy experienced delayed union. After debridement, the patient successfully got union. Another two patients experienced marginal necrosis of flap due to vascular crisis. After 3‐week dressing changes, the patients also got satisfactory union. One case suffered from vascular crisis during surgery in which the procedure was changed into skin grafting to cover resection site.

Conclusion

FVALTP technique can be effectively applied to the reconstruction of soft tissue defect after STSs resection. The short‐term follow‐up indicated satisfactory functional outcome and low incidence of previously known complications. It was necessary to further validate its efficacy in reconstruction of soft tissue defect after malignant extremity soft tissue sarcoma resection.

Surgical treatment and long-term outcomes of low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma: a single-center case series of 15 patients

Background

Low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma (LGMS) is a poorly studied, rare, soft tissue sarcoma. LGMS is characterized by a low malignancy potential, tendency for local recurrence, and low likelihood of distant metastases. However, no studies have reported on the surgical treatment method and its long-term outcomes.

Methods

We included all patients treated for LGMS at our institution between March 2010 and March 2021. Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed to collect demographic information, as well as information about the clinical course, tumor characteristics, and outcomes. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with the recurrence rate.

Results

Fifteen patients who underwent surgical treatment were enrolled in this study. There were seven cases in the upper extremities, four in the trunk area, three in the lower extremities, and one in the head and neck area. There were no metastatic cases and two cases of local recurrence.

Conclusions

The incidence of LGMS in the extremities or trunk may be higher than expected based on the current literature. Univariate analysis showed that local tissue invasion and surgical method could be associated with local recurrence. Although further large studies are needed to establish risk factors of local recurrence or extent of resection margins, based on our study, wide local excision under the proper diagnosis is the most important treatment.

Iatrogenic Metastasis of Soft-tissue Sarcoma at the Donor Flap Site: Case Report and Proposed Surgical Oncologic Techniques

An 81-year-old woman with multiply recurrent undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the foot underwent wide excision and reconstruction with an anterolateral thigh free flap. Six years postoperatively, she developed biopsy-proven recurrence within the harvest site. No other sites of disease were detected on staging workup. The flap site recurrence was attributed to iatrogenic implantation at the time of harvesting. Iatrogenic metastases are thought to be caused by tumor implantation, which may be attributable to cross-contamination from instrumentation and surgical techniques. In the present article, we highlight preventive techniques and oncologic surgical principles intended to reduce the likelihood of iatrogenic metastasis. Increased awareness by all members of the surgical team may prevent this unfortunate complication.

Factors, treatments, and outcomes associated with primary soft tissue malignancies of the forearm: A series of 31 cases

Background

Primary soft tissue malignancies of the forearm constitute up to 24% of soft tissue extremity malignancies and present a difficult problem when attempting to preserve both life and forearm function. As described by Enneking, recurrence and metastasis are the two largest contributors to morbidity and mortality and therefore, the primary consideration must be to excise the entire tumor. However, since limb salvage is the preferred treatment over amputation in 95% of cases, many physicians elect to perform marginal resections over wide resections in the attempt to increase functional outcomes. Our study aimed to compare recurrence rates and forearm functional outcomes between these groups to better guide clinical decision making.

Questions/purposes

(1) What is the difference in recurrence rates between wide resection of the tumor and marginal resection? (2) Between wide and marginal resection groups, what is the functional difference as measured by MSTS functional outcome scores? The purpose of our study was to answer these two questions and better understand if marginal resection yielded better results compared to wide resection.

Patients and methods

Following IRB approval, we conducted a retrospective case series between 1999 and 2019. Included in the study were patients with a primary malignancy in the predetermined borders of the forearm with a minimum of two-year follow up post-operatively. All patients in the study were operated on by physicians in the Southern California Kaiser Permanente system. Thirty-one patients met criteria for the study. Recurrence rates and metastatic disease was determined through serial history and physical examination, with patients undergoing magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging of the affected area and computed tomography (CT) of the chest every 6 months for the first 2 years, and every 12 months for the following 3 years. MSTS scores were obtained in subsequent follow-ups following the guidelines set by the MSTS scoring system.

Results

Of the 31 patients evaluated, 4 (12.9%) had recurrence and 2 (6.5%) had signs of metastasis. Between the marginal excision and wide excision groups, all 4 recurrences happened in the marginal excision group and none occurred in the wide excision group. In addition, in the pathology report, excisions with 0.1 cm margins or less on any side had 3 instances of recurrence (31%) whereas there was only 1 recurrence (4.8%) outside of this group. MSTS scores for both wide excision and marginal excision were within 1 point with average scores being 26 and 26.9, respectively.

Conclusions

Consistent with the literature, our study found that closer surgical margins lead to higher rates of recurrence due to the increased likelihood of aberrant tumor. However, when looking at functional outcome scores, we found minimal benefit in marginal resections compared to wide resections. The lack of MSTS score difference between both groups highlighted that the perceived benefit of choosing a marginal resection over wide excision may be nominal at best. Therefore, we recommend performing an additional intraoperative resection on narrow margins to reduce the chance of recurrence. Of note, clinical discernment in the form of preserving valuable neurovascular structures such as the median nerve should still be an important consideration.

Is local recurrence in bone and soft tissue sarcomas just a local recurrence or does it impact the overall survival, retrospective cohort from a sarcoma referral center

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Sarcoma local recurrence (LR) is often associated with metastasis, but it is unclear if LR can be a causal event leading to metastasis. We question if LR is best viewed as an independent oncologic event or as a worrisome harbinger threatening a patient's overall survival.

METHODS

We identified patients with LR and/or metastasis from an ongoing cohort of 629 patients with primary sarcoma and performed a detailed review to assess the timing of metastasis resulting in the following groups: (1) Isolated LR, (2) LR before metastasis, (3) LR within 6 months of metastasis, (4) LR 6-12 months after metastasis, (5) LR >12 months after metastasis, and (6) metastasis at diagnosis.

RESULTS

Overall, 43 patients met the inclusion criteria with an LR rate of 7%. Ten patients (2% of the entire cohort, 23% of LR) developed an LR before or within 6 months of metastasis. For patients without systemic disease preceding LR, 3 of 23 soft tissue sarcoma STS (13%) and 7 of 10 bone sarcoma (70%) subsequently developed metastasis (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

LR with subsequent metastasis is a rare event. LR appears to be best viewed as a marker of tumor aggressiveness rather than the cause of metastasis and poor survival. LR in bone sarcoma patients should warn providers of a high risk of imminent metastasis.

Follow-up Strategies for Primary Extremity Soft-tissue Sarcoma in Adults: A Systematic Review of the Published Literature

AIM

Follow-up strategies for primary extremity soft-tissue sarcomas (eSTS) in adults were evaluated in a systematic review of the published literature.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The published literature was reviewed using PubMed. Of 136,646 studies published between 1985 and 2019, 78 original articles met the inclusion criteria. Articles were selected on the basis of the PRISMA guidelines. The selected articles were then cross-searched to identify further publications. August 1, 2019 was used as the concluding date of publication.

RESULTS

A variety of follow-up schedules have been reported in recently published literature. Two official guidelines have been approved by international societies. The guidelines distinguish between high- and low-grade STS, but mention a wide range of follow-up intervals. Established tools of follow-up include computed tomograph, X-rays of the chest, and magnetic resonance imaging of the primary tumor site in addition to clinical observation and physical examination.

CONCLUSION

Further research will be needed to establish evidence-based guidelines and schedules for follow-up strategies in patients with eSTS.

Re-excision after unplanned excision of soft tissue sarcoma: A systematic review and metanalysis. The rationale of systematic re-excision

In Soft Tissue Sarcomas (STS) referral centre many patients have already had an incomplete tumour resection. In the majority of specimen, tumoral residual is detected and linked to a worsen prognosis. Systematic surgical re-resection of the scar tissue area is often performed. Some authors suggested to postpone re-resections until a clinically evident local recurrence is detected. A searching strategy was applied to Pubmed-Central and Ovid Medline. Odds ratio (OR) for local recurrence (LR), distant metastasis (MTS) or overall survival (OS) were calculated comparing patients who had tumour residual to people who hadn't. OR of local recurrences, distant metastasis and OS were calculated in planned vs unplanned-excisions groups. OR to develop a metastasis and OS after a local recurrences were calculated. Residual tumour led to an OR for LR of 3,56, OR of MTS was 3,42; OR of decreased OS was 3,42. Having a LR lead to a OR of 1,55 for MTS and to a OR of decreased OS of 2,32. Patients who underwent a re-excision compared to planned surgery did not have an increased OR of LR and had an OR to develop a MTS of 0,56. Our data confirm that there is a strong correlation between local recurrences, distant relapses and overall survival. Although there is a selection bias; this analysis highlights the optimal oncological outcome in patients who underwent re-resection. The rationale for systematic re-resection after unplanned excision of soft tissue sarcomas is very strong and this treatment remains the gold standard of care in these patients.

Margin Assessment in Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Review of the Literature

Simple Summary

Many classifications to assess margins status for soft tissue sarcomas are reported in the literature. Most of the series are heterogeneous and variable in size, making it difficult to compare results from study to study. Thus, which is the best way to assess margins in order to predict the risk of local recurrence is still debated. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the literature on margins, and to highlight the need for a uniform description of the margin status for patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

Abstract

Adequacy of margins must take into consideration both the resection margin width (quantity) and anatomic barrier (quality). There are several classification schemes for reporting surgical resection margin status for soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Most of the studies regarding treatment outcomes in STS included all histologic grades and histological subtypes, which include infiltrative and non-infiltrative subtypes and are very heterogeneous in terms of both histologic characteristics and treatment modalities (adjuvant treatments or not). This lack of consistency makes it difficult to compare results from study to study. Therefore, there is a great need for evidence-based standardization concerning the width of resection margins. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the literature on margins, and to highlight the need for a uniform description of the margin status for patients with STS. Patient cases should be discussed at multidisciplinary tumor boards and treatments should be individualized to clinical and demographic characteristics, which must include also a deep knowledge of specific histotypes behaviors, particularly infiltrative ones.

Impact of surgical margin on survival in extremity soft tissue sarcoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The impact of surgical margin status on the survival of patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) remains to be clearly defined. The evidence regarding the impact of surgical margins on survival is limited by retrospective single-institution cohort studies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the impact of surgical margin status on patient survival in extremity STS.

METHODS

A literature search in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register electronic databases, and a manual search of reference lists of original studies was performed. The following text words and/or Medical Subject Heading terms were searched: (neoplasm) or/and (sarcoma) and/or (connective tissue) and/or (soft tissue) and/or (extremity) and/or (extremity) and/or (surgical margin).

RESULTS

Six selected studies that reported a total of 2917 cases of extremity STS were published between 1994 and 2013. All the eligible studies were observational cohort studies, and the sample size ranged from 95 to 1261 patients. A meta-analysis of 6 studies showed that a positive surgical margin predicted poor 5-year OS in a random-effects model (summary hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.17). Moderate heterogeneity was observed among the studies (P < .075; heterogeneity, 45.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis supports the hypothesis that adequate surgical margins are associated with improved survival in extremity STS.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma Follow-up Imaging: Strategies to Distinguish Post-treatment Changes from Recurrence

Soft tissue sarcomas encompass multiple entities with differing recurrence rates and follow-up intervals. The detection of recurrences and their differentiation from post-therapeutic changes is therefore complex, with a central role for the clinical radiologist. This article describes approved recommendations. Prerequisite is a precise knowledge of the current clinical management and surgical techniques. We review recurrence rates and treatment modalities. An adequate imaging technique is paramount, and comparison with previous imaging is highly recommended. We describe time-dependent therapy-related complications on magnetic resonance imaging compared with the spectrum of regular post-therapeutic changes. Early complications such as seromas, hematomas, and infections, late complications such as edema and fibrosis, and inflammatory pseudotumors are elucidated. The appearance of recurrences and radiation-associated sarcomas is contrasted with these changes. This systematic approach in follow-up imaging of soft tissue sarcoma patients will facilitate the differentiation of post-therapeutic changes from recurrences.

Time to Local Recurrence as a Predictor of Survival in Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremity and Abdominothoracic Wall

Objective

The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify the prognostic significance of time to local recurrence (TLR) with regard to overall survival (OS) and survival after local recurrence (SAR) in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremity and abdominothoracic wall.

Methods

We identified 477 patients who underwent R0 resection for localized STS of the extremity and abdominothoracic wall, from January 1995 to December 2016, of whom 190 patients developed local recurrence as their first recurrent event. Based on TLR, patients were divided into two groups: early local recurrence (ELR, <12 months) and late local recurrence (LLR, ≥12 months). The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analysis were used to estimate the OS and SAR, and to identify factors associated with patient outcomes.

Results

The median follow-up time for the entire cohort was 118.4 months, and was 118.5 months for the 190 patients who developed local recurrence. Deep tumor location (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.27–2.37, P = 0.001) and tumor grade ≥2 (G2 vs. G1: HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.21–2.53, G3 vs. G1: HR 2.57, 95% CI 1.66–3.98, P < 0.001) were associated with a higher rate of local recurrence. There were 99 patients in the ELR group and 91 in the LLR group, with a median TLR of 10.8 months for the entire cohort. Patients from the ELR group had a shorter OS and a lower 5-year OS rate than the LLR group. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated TLR as an independent prognostic factor for SAR and OS, in addition to tumor grade. Also, surgical treatment and absence of metastasis after local recurrence were associated with longer SAR.

Conclusions

In patients with STS of the extremity and abdominothoracic wall, ELR after R0 resection indicated a worse prognosis than those with LLR, and TLR can be considered an independent prognostic factor for OS and SAR. Furthermore, local recurrence was significantly influenced by the depth and the histopathological grading of the primary tumor, and reoperation after local recurrence could improve survival, which means salvage surgery may still be the preferred treatment when there are surgical indications after recurrence.

The role of surgical margin quality in myxofibrosarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma

OBJECTIVES

The effect of margin quality as a barrier against infiltration of soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) has been unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of margin quantity and quality on local control for myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS).

METHODS

278 patients with a localised MFS and UPS were studied. Margin quality was categorized into five types; type 1, pseudocapsule/reactive zone; type 2, fat/fibrofatty tissue; type 3, muscle; type 4, fascia; type 5, periosteum.

RESULTS

The 5-year cumulative LR incidence was 22% and 13% in patients with positive and 0.1-9.9 mm margins, respectively, but decreased to 3% with ≥10.0 mm margins (p = 0.009); the cumulative LR incidence was significantly lower in patients with ≥10.0 mm margins than those with positive margins (p = 0.033) but was not significantly different in those with 0.1-9.9 mm margins (p = 0.183). In patients with 0.1-9.9 mm margins, the cumulative LR incidence was affected by margin quality; type 4 and 5 provided an LR risk less than 5% (p < 0.001), which was similar to those with margins ≥10.0 mm. Combining these two factors together, the LR risk in patients with positive or 0.1-9.9 mm margins without fascia/periosteum was approximately 11 × higher than patients with 0.1-9.9 mm margins with fascia/periosteum or margins ≥10.0 mm (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

A resection margin of 0.1-9.9 mm with fascia or periosteum provided a similar LR risk profile to ≥10 mm margins with any margin quality, which provided the lowest LR risk. The quality of fascial or periosteal tissue margins may be equivalent to a margin quantity of 10 mm as a barrier to LR.

The Role of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery in Surgical Therapy of Soft Tissue Sarcomas

BACKGROUND

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) treatment is an interdisciplinary challenge. Along with radio(chemo)therapy, surgery plays the central role in STS treatment. Little is known about the impact of reconstructive surgery on STS, particularly whether reconstructive surgery enhances STS resection success with the usage of flaps. Here, we analyzed the 10-year experience at a university hospital's Comprehensive Cancer Center, focusing on the role of reconstructive surgery.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of STS-patients over 10 years. We investigated patient demographics, diagnosis, surgical management, tissue/function reconstruction, complication rates, resection status, local recurrence and survival.

RESULTS

Analysis of 290 patients showed an association between clear surgical margin (R0) resections and higher-grade sarcoma in patients with free flaps. Major complications were lower with primary wound closure than with flaps. Comparison of reconstruction techniques showed no significant differences in complication rates. Wound healing was impaired in STS recurrence. The local recurrence risk was over two times higher with primary wound closure than with flaps.

CONCLUSION

Defect reconstructions in STS are reliable and safe. Plastic surgeons should have a permanent place in interdisciplinary surgical STS treatment, with the full armamentarium of reconstruction methods.

The Effect of Resection Margin on Local Recurrence and Survival in High Grade Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremities: How Far Is Far Enough?

Simple Summary

In soft tissue sarcomas the width of surgical margins after resection determines the extent of surgery and the function after resection. But how far is really necessary? 305 patients with deep-seated, G2/3 soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity, the trunk wall, or the pelvis were reviewed. The 5-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) was 82%. Overall survival (OS) at 5 years was 66%. Positive (contaminated) margins worsened LRFS and OS. A margin of >10 mm did not improve LRFS and OS as compared to one of >5 mm. A resection margin of <1 mm showed a trend but not significantly better LRFS or OS compared to a contaminated margin. In conclusion the margin should at least be free of tumor, in sound tissue. A margin of >5 mm sound tissue seems to be sufficient. Resecting more tissue does not benefit the patient.

Abstract

Background: The significance of surgical margins after resection of soft tissue sarcomas in respect to local-recurrence-free survival and overall survival is evaluated. Methods: A total of 305 patients with deep-seated, G2/3 soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the extremity, the trunk wall, or the pelvis were reviewed. The margin was defined according to the Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer (FNCLCC) classification system (R0-2), the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) classification (R + 1 mm) for which a margin <1 mm is included into the R1 group, and in groups of <1 mm, 1–5 mm, >5 mm, or >10 mm. Results: Of these patients, 31 (10.2%) had a contaminated margin, 64 (21%) a margin of <1 mm, 123 (40.3%) a margin of 1–5 mm, 47 (15.4%) a margin of >5 mm, and 40 (13.1%) a margin of >10 mm. The 5-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) was 81.6%. Overall survival (OS) at 5 years was 65.9%. Positive margins worsened LRFS and OS. A margin of >10 mm did not improve LRFS and OS as compared to one of >5 mm. Conclusions: A resection margin of <1 mm showed a trend but not significantly better LRFS or OS compared to a contaminated margin. This finding supports use of the UICC classification. A margin of more than 10 mm did not improve LRFS or OS.

Analysis of prognostic factors in soft tissue sarcoma: Cancer registry from a single tertiary hospital in Indonesia. A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Soft tissue sarcoma is one cause of mortality in adult malignancies. This tumor is rare, persistent, and highly-recurrent. Many patients are came in late stage. It is important to identify a prognostic tool that is reliable, easily obtainable, and widely applicable. The aim of this study is to investigate and analyze the prognostic value of clinicopathological and biomarker factors in patients with soft tissue sarcoma.

METHODS

This retrospective study extracts data from the musculoskeletal tumor registry from January 2012 to December 2018 in a single tertiary hospital. Eighty patients with diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma were included. Preoperative modified Glasgow Prognostic Score, Neutrophils/Lymphocytes Ratio, Hemoglobin, serum lactate dehydrogenase data were analyzed along with demographic, clinical, radiological and histopathological data. The relationship between variables on overall survival, distant metastasis, and local recurrence were evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression.

RESULTS

On univariate analysis, there was significant relationship between hemoglobin, Neutrophils/Lymphocytes Ratio and modified Glasgow Prognostic Score with overall survival (p = 0.031, HR = 1.99; p = 0.04, HR = 1.129; and p = 0.044, HR = 3.89). A significant relationship was found between age and soft tissue sarcoma stage with distant metastasis (p = 0.046, HR = 1.95; and p = 0.00, HR = 3.22). In addition, we also found significant relationship between surgical margin with local recurrence (p = 0.018, OR = 3.44). However, on multivariate analysis the independent prognostic factor for overall survival was only modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (HR = 2.138; p = 0.011). Stage IIIA (HR = 5.32; p = 0.005) and IIIB (HR = 13.48; p = 0.00) were independent prognostic for distant metastasis. Surgical margin was independently associated with local recurrence (HR = 14.84; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score can be used as prognostic tool of overall survival in soft tissue sarcoma patients. Moreover, stage of STS and surgical margin can be used as a prognostic factor for distant metastasis and local recurrence of soft tissue sarcoma respectively.

Low-grade soft-tissue sarcomas: What is an adequate margin for local disease control?

BACKGROUND

Whilst the resection margin is an established factor predictive of local control of soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs), the adequacy of margin width for low-grade STSs has been rarely described. We aimed to investigate the margin adequacy and its prognostic relevance in low-grade STSs.

METHODS

109 patients who underwent surgical treatment for a low-grade STS were studied. The prognostic value of margin status was evaluated according to the R-, R+1-classification, and width in millimetres.

RESULTS

The 10-year local recurrence (LR) rates were 6%, 27%, 54% in R0, R1, and R2, respectively (p < 0.001), according to the R-classification. The R+1-classification resulted in a decreased LR rate in R1, but no major differences in LR rates in R0 and R2; 7%, 14%, 54% in R0, R1, and R2, respectively (p < 0.001). When classified by metric distance, 10-year LR rates were 0%, 8%, and 38% by ≥ 2.0 mm, 0.1-1.9 mm, and 0 mm margins, respectively (p < 0.001). Patients with close margins (0.1-1.9 mm) who received adjuvant radiotherapy had a trend toward lower LR risk than those without radiotherapy (10-year, 4% vs. 12%; p = 0.406). The 5 and 10-year disease-specific mortality was 9% and 13%, respectively; margin width was not associated with disease-specific mortality but LR was a poor prognostic factor for survival (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

Whilst negative margin provided local control over 90%, excellent local control was achieved with microscopic margins ≥2 mm. The role of margins is more important than radiotherapy in local control. Margins do not determine survival, but LR is associated with a poor prognosis.

The adequacy of resection margin for non-infiltrative soft-tissue sarcomas

OBJECTIVES

There remains no consensus on what constitutes an adequate margin of resection for non-infiltrative soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs). We aimed to investigate the role of resection margins in millimetres for non-infiltrative STSs.

METHODS

502 patients who underwent surgical resection for a localized, non-infiltrative, high-grade STSs were studied. The prognostic significance of margin width was analysed and compared with the conventional R- and R+1-classification of surgical margins.

RESULTS

The overall local recurrence (LR) rate was 13%; 9% and 27% with negative and positive margins, respectively (p < 0.001). In patients with negative margins, the LR rates were greater than 10% in patients with margins ≤5.0 mm but reduced to less than 4% with margins >5.0 mm. When classified by the R- (or R+1)-classification, the 5-year cumulative LR incidence was 8%, 23% (16%), and 31% for R0, R1, and R2, respectively, which did not stratify the LR risk with negative margins. On the other hand, an accurate risk stratification was possible by metric distance; the 5-year cumulative incidence of LR was 29%, 10%, and 1% with 0 mm, 0.1-5.0 mm, and >5.0 mm, respectively (p < 0.001). This classification also stratified the LR risk in patients with or without adjuvant radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION

While a negative margin is essential to optimize local control in patients with non-infiltrative STSs, surgical margin width greater than 5 mm minimises the risk of local failure regardless of the use of adjuvant radiotherapy.

Planned combined onco-plastic (COP) surgical approach improves oncologic outcomes in soft tissue sarcomas

BACKGROUND

Combined modality of radiotherapy and surgery is the standard of treatment of soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The goal of this study was to assess whether a Combined Onco-Plastic (COP) surgical approach in the setting of neo-adjuvant radiotherapy can improve the oncologic outcomes of STS and reduce the rate of wound complications.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of all patients with STS treated at a single sarcoma centre (St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne) between 2007 and 2018. Patients were stratified into two groups based on whether they have received the COP approach or were closed primarily by the orthopaedic surgeon. We analysed oncological outcomes and rate of wound complications.

RESULTS

A total of 546 patients with comparable demographics and tumor characteristics were included. The COP approach was performed in 75.6% of the patients. Wide margins were obtained in 97.4% of the cases, and this was significantly higher in the COP group (p < 0.001). The cumulative rate of local recurrence was 4.9%, with a 52% risk reduction in the COP approach, although this reduction was not significant (HR = 0.48; 95% CI 0.21-1.06; p = 0.070). The COP approach had better disease free survival (DFS) (aHR 1.86, 95% CI 1.45-2.37; p < 0.001) and Overall survival (risk of death aHR 0.49; 95% CI 0.30-0.79; p = 0.004). The overall wound complication rate was 18.6% with no difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

A planned collaboration between the orthopaedic oncologist and the plastic surgeon is beneficial in the treatment of STS after neo-adjuvant radiotherapy, allowing remarkably good oncological outcomes and a low rate of wound complications.