Background
Retroperitoneal sarcomas historically have presented difficulties in their management due to a high rate of unresectability.
Objective
To determine prognostic parameters, resectability, and survival of these patients in a more recent period.
Design
Retrospective review, with a mean follow-up of 47 months.
Setting
Tertiary care cancer institute.
Patients
The charts of 90 consecutive patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas treated in the period from 1977 to 1995. No patient referred with a localized retroperitoneal sarcoma was excluded from this review.
Results
The resectability rate was 100% for the primary tumors (n=57) and 88% for the tumors initially presenting as local recurrence (n=33). The 5-year survival rate was 63% (66% for patients with primary tumors and 57% for those with local recurrence). The 10-year survival rate was 46% (57% for patients with primary tumors and 26% for those referred with local recurrence). The local recurrence rate was 25% for primary tumors and 39% for tumors initally presented as local recurrence (overall rate, 30%); it was 56% after local excision and 16% after wide or radical resection (P<.001). The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 72% and 61%, respectively, for those with wide resection and 55% and 23%, respectively, for those with local excision (P=.01).
Conclusions
With modern surgical techniques, the overall resectability rate of retroperitoneal sarcomas is 96%. The ensuing survival, affected significantly by the histologic grade, approaches that for the extremity sarcomas.
(Arch Surg. 1995;130:1104-1109)
