Histopathologic Type: An Independent Prognostic Factor in Primary Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremity?

• Main Authors: KOEA, Jonathan B., LEUNG, Denis H. Y., LEWIS, Jonathan J., BRENNAN, Murray F.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2003
• Subjects: Soft tissue sarcoma; Histopathology; Mortality; Prognostic factors; Econometrics; Medicine and Health Sciences
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soe_research/472; https://doi.org/10.1245/ASO.2003.05.014
• Institution: Singapore Management University

We attempted to define the effect of tumor histotype on local recurrence, distant metastasis, and disease-specific survival in patients with surgically treated primary extremity sarcoma. Methods: A total of 951 patients with primary, localized soft tissue extremity sarcoma were followed up prospectively. Patient- and tumor-related variables, including histopathologic type, were used to identify independent prognostic factors for the study end points of local recurrence, distant recurrence, and disease-specific survival. Results: There were 137 local recurrences, and significant adverse prognostic factors for local recurrence were patient age >50 years, microscopically positive margins, and malignant peripheral nerve tumor. Adverse prognostic factors for distant recurrence (200 patients) were tumor size >5 cm, tumors beneath the investing fascia, high tumor grade, and leiomyosarcoma. Of the 199 patients who died of disease-related causes, patient age >50 years, tumors beneath the investing fascia, high tumor grade, microscopically positive margin, tumor size >5 cm, leiomyosarcoma, and malignant peripheral nerve tumor were adverse prognostic factors. Conclusions: These data suggest that differences in biological behavior may exist between sarcoma histotypes and deserve further study.