The Impact of Surgical Margins and Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Patients with Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcomas of the Extremities: A Single-Institutional Analysis of 192 Patients

Factors Influencing Long-Term Local Recurrence, Distant Metastasis, and Survival in Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremities Treated with Radiotherapy

INTRODUCTION

The prognostic factors for extremity soft-tissue sarcomas (ESTSs) treated with multimodal surgery and radiotherapy (RT) remain a subject of debate across diverse and heterogeneous studies.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed nonmetastatic ESTS patients treated with RT between 2007 and 2020 in Strasbourg, France. We assessed local control (LC), distant control (DC), overall survival (OS), and complications.

RESULTS

A total of 169 patients diagnosed with localized ESTS were included. The median age was 64 years (range 21-94 years). ESTS primarily occurred proximally (74.6%) and in the lower limbs (71%). Most tumors were grade 2-3 (71.1%), deep-seated (86.4%), and had R0 margins (63.9%). Most patients were treated with helical tomotherapy (79.3%). The median biologically effective dose (BED) prescribed was 75 BEDGy4 (range 45.0-109.9). The median follow-up was 5.5 years. The 5- and 10-year LC, DC, and OS rates were 91.7%, 76.8%, and 83.8% and 84.2%, 74.1%, and 77.6%, respectively. According to the univariate analysis, LC was worse for patients who received less than 75 BEDGy4 (p = 0.015). Deep tumors were associated with worse OS (p < 0.05), and grade 2-3 and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) were linked to both shorter DC and shorter OS (p < 0.05). IMRT was associated with longer LC than 3DRT (p = 0.018). Multivariate analysis revealed that patients with liposarcoma had better OS (p < 0.05) and that patients with distant relapse had shorter OS (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

RT associated with surgical resection was well tolerated and was associated with excellent long-term rates of LC, DC, and OS. Compared with 3DRT, IMRT improved local control. Liposarcoma was a favorable prognostic factor for OS. Intermediate- and high-grade tumors and deep tumors were associated with lower DC and OS.

A Modification of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Nomogram for Undifferentiated Sarcoma With External Validation and Risk Stratification

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to establish a model to predict the overall survival (OS) and stratify the risk of postoperative patients with undifferentiated sarcoma.

METHODS

A total of 452 postoperative patients with undifferentiated sarcoma in the trunk and extremity from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were enrolled as the training cohort. We collected a group of 163 undifferentiated sarcoma patients from our center as the external validation cohort. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to screen survival-associated factors for the construction of the nomogram. Concordance-indexes (C-indexes), calibration curves, and receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) curves were applied for the discrimination and calibration of the nomogram. The cutoff value of nomogram-based total points was applied to stratify the risk of patients.

RESULTS

A nomogram was developed incorporating four independent factors: age, tumor site, eighth AJCC stage, and radiotherapy. The nomogram showed good prognostic accuracy and excellent agreement in the training and validation cohort, with C-indexes of .701 (95% confidence interval [CI]: .683-.719) and .700 (95% CI: 0.659-.741), respectively. Furthermore, we identified the best cutoff value of nomogram total points (103.2) as the predicted risk and divided the patients into a high-risk group and a low-risk group. Significant differences in OS between the two groups were indicated in the training cohort and external validation cohort, showing the appreciable clinical validity and clinical utility of the nomogram (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

This nomogram provides an insightful and applicable tool for individual evaluations and the distinguishment of risk for patients with undifferentiated sarcoma.

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.

Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma of a Chronic Burn Scar of the Knee With Lymph Node Metastasis

Malignant transformation of chronic burn scars are usually toward cutaneous lineages, including squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. Sarcomas are less common. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma(UPS) is a subtype of soft tissue sarcoma with storiform-pleomorphic cells of uncertain origin, and has sparingly been reported to arise from burn scars. The majority are localized lesions probably due to the spatial distance of mesenchymal cells from the epithelium. The authors describe a rare case of UPS of the chronic burn scar of his knee with ipsilateral femoral and external iliac lymph node metastasis.

Prognostic Factors in Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas Treated with Radiotherapy: Systematic Review of the Literature

Soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities are rare tumors with various prognostic factors. Their management is debatable due to their inconsistent results within the literature and the lack of large prospective studies. The objective of this systematic review is to analyze the available scientific data on prognostic factors concerning the characteristics of the patients, the disease and the treatments performed, as well as their potential complications, on studies with a median follow-up of 5 years at minimum. A search of articles following the "PRISMA method" and using the PubMed search engine was conducted to select the most relevant studies. Twenty-five articles were selected, according to preestablished criteria. This review provides a better understanding of the prognosis and disease outcome of these tumors. Many factors were described comparing the frequency of occurrence according to the studies, which remain heterogeneous between them. Significant factors that could orient patients to radiotherapy were highlighted. These positive prognostic factors provide valuable insight to optimize radiotherapy treatments for patients treated for soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities.

The Role of CDK Pathway Dysregulation and Its Therapeutic Potential in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are tumors that are challenging to treat due to their pathologic and molecular heterogeneity and their tumor biology that is not yet fully understood. Recent research indicates that dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) signaling pathways can be a strong driver of sarcogenesis. CDKs are enzyme forms that play a crucial role in cell-cycle control and transcription. They belong to the protein kinases group and to the serine/threonine kinases subgroup. Recently identified CDK/cyclin complexes and established CDK/cyclin complexes that regulate the cell cycle are involved in the regulation of gene expression through phosphorylation of critical components of transcription and pre-mRNA processing mechanisms. The current and continually growing body of data shows that CDKs play a decisive role in tumor development and are involved in the proliferation and growth of sarcoma cells. Since the abnormal expression or activation of large numbers of CDKs is considered to be characteristic of cancer development and progression, dysregulation of the CDK signaling pathways occurs in many subtypes of STSs. This review discusses how reversal and regulation can be achieved with new therapeutics and summarizes the current evidence from studies regarding CDK modulation for STS treatment.

Multimodality treatment of undifferentiated pleomorphic soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity (eUPS) in the elderly

INTRODUCTION

This subgroup analysis of undifferentiated pleomorphic soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity (eUPS) from the PERSARC collaborative group aimed to achieve a more personalized multimodality treatment approach for primary eUPS in elderly patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A multicenter retrospective study including primary high-grade eUPS surgically treated with curative intent between 2000 and 2016. Overall survival (OS), local recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) curves were calculated by Kaplan Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine the effect of radiotherapy.

RESULTS

From a total of 2511 patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma (eSTS) of the PERSARC study collaborative; 703 patients with eUPS were included in this study. In elderly patients with eUPS 5-year OS, LR and DM were 35.4 (95%CI 29.3-42.8), 17.7 (95%CI 12.7-22.6) and 24.6 (95%CI 19.1-30.1). eUPS was significantly less treated with radiotherapy compared with other eSTS, especially in elderly patients. Patients with R1-R2 margins treated with radiotherapy had about half the risk of developing LR compared with patients treated without radiotherapy (HR = 0.454, p = 0.033).

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients with eUPS were less often treated with radiotherapy and showed higher LR. Nowadays, given an increasing life expectancy in elderly patients, multimodality treatment should be considered.

Neoadjuvant radiation for cutaneous and soft tissue angiosarcoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Neoadjuvant radiation (NRT) is frequently utilized in soft tissue sarcomas to increase local control. Its utility in cutaneous and soft tissue angiosarcoma remains poorly defined.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Cancer Database (2004-2016) evaluating patients with clinically localized, surgically resected angiosarcomas. Factors associated with receipt of NRT in the overall cohort and margin positivity in treatment naïve patients were identified by univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS

Of 597 patients, 27 (4.5%) received NRT. Increasing age (odds ratio [OR] 0.95, p = 0.025), tumor size more than or equal to 5 cm (OR 3.16, p = 0.02), and extremity tumor location (OR 3.99, p = 0.04) were associated with receipt of NRT. All patients who received NRT achieved an R0 resection (p = 0.03) compared with 17.9% of patients without NRT. Factors associated with risk of margin positivity included tumor size more than or equal to 5 cm (OR 1.85, p = 0.01), and head/neck location (OR 2.24, p = 0.006). NRT was not significantly associated with improved survival (p = 0.21).

CONCLUSIONS

NRT improves rates of R0 resection but is infrequently utilized in cutaneous and soft tissue angiosarcoma. Increased usage of NRT, particularly for patients with lesions more than or equal to 5 cm, or head and neck location, may help achieve complete resections.

Novel Nomograms-Based Prediction Models for Patients with Primary Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcomas Resections

Simple Summary

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (UPS) are one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas which have relatively high potentials of recurrence and metastasis. Surgery remains the mainstream treatment for UPS patients. However, in modern medicine, doctors nowadays lack proper models to tell patients the exact prognosis of individuals after they have undergone primary surgery. In this work, we for the first time develop two nomograms that are able to predict 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and time to recurrence (TTR) for UPS patients. These nomograms show relatively good accuracy and practicability which may contribute a lot to the modern medical decision-making process.

Abstract

Background: Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (UPS) were one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas. As UPS had relatively high potentials of recurrence and metastasis, we designed two nomograms to better predict the overall survival (OS) and time to recurrence (TTR) for patients who underwent primary surgery. Methods: The data of UPS patients who underwent primary surgery were extracted from Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University. Multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression to identify independent prognostic factors. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to compare differences for patients who underwent primary surgery in OS and TTR. Nomograms were designed with the help of R software and validated using calibration curves and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). Results: Kaplan–Meier curves showed that patients with older ages (p = 0.0024), deeper locations (p = 0.0422), necrosis (p < 0.0001), G3 French Federation Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer (FNCLCC) classification (p < 0.0001), higher Ki-67 (p < 0.0001), higher mitotic index (p < 0.0001), R1/R2 resections (p = 0.0002) and higher invasive depth (p = 0.0099) had shorter OS than the other patients while patients with older ages (p = 0.0108), necrosis (p = 0.0001), G3 FNCLCC classification (p < 0.0001), higher Ki-67 (p = 0.0006), higher mitotic index (p < 0.0001) and R1/R2 resections (p < 0.0001) had shorter TTR compared with those without. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that mitotic rates and surgical margin were independent factors for TTR while age and invasive depth were independent factors for OS. Three parameters were adopted to build the nomograms for 3- and 5-year OS and TTR. The Area Under Curve (AUC) of this nomogram at 3- and 5-year TTR reached 0.802, 0.814, respectively, while OS reached 0.718, 0.802, respectively. Calibration curves for the prediction of 3- and 5-year OS and TTR showed excellent agreement between the predicted and the actual survival outcomes. Conclusions: Some important parameters could be used to predict the outcome of individual UPS patients such as mitotic age, rates, surgical margin, and invasive depth. We developed two accurate and practicable nomograms that could predict 3- and 5-year OS and TTR for UPS patients, which could be involved in the modern medical decision-making process.

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.

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.