Skip to main content

Sarcoma

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Decision Tools for Radiation Oncology

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Radiat Oncol))

  • 1386 Accesses

Abstract

Soft tissue sarcomas are malignant tumors that arise in the mesoderm. There are over 50 subtypes of these tumors that vary greatly in biological behavior. While small, low-grade lesions may be adequately treated by resection alone; larger, higher-grade lesions require adjuvant therapy to maximize local control. We will examine the prognostic factors that predict for disease recurrence and the role of radiation therapy in this setting. We will also examine the toxicities associated with radiation, and how this information is utilized to help or guide decision making for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    This corresponds to Table 33.5 and 33.6 (page 950 and 951) “Decision making in radiation oncology” (Lu and Brady)

Abbreviations

STS:

Soft tissue sarcoma

SO:

Second opinion

AJCC:

American Joint Committee on Cancer

MSKCC:

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

DFS:

Disease-free survival

OS:

Overall survival

MDACC:

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

MGH:

Massachusetts General Hospital

PMH:

The Princess Margaret Hospital

RLNM:

Regional lymph node metastases

MPNST:

Malignant peripheral-nerve tumor

CI:

Concordance index

LS:

Liposarcoma

GPS:

General postoperative sarcoma nomogram from MSKCC

DSS:

Disease-specific survival

pathCR:

Greater than or equal to 95 % necrosis

References

  • Alektiar KM, Velasco J, Zelefsky MJ et al (2000) Adjuvant radiotherapy for margin-positive high-grade soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 48:1051–1058

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arbiser ZK, Folpe AL, Weiss SW (2001) Consultative (expert) second opinions in soft tissue pathology. Analysis of problem-prone diagnostic situations. Am J Clin Pathol 116:473–476. doi:10.1309/425H-NW4W-XC9A-005H

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Behranwala KA, A’Hern R, Omar A-M, Thomas JM (2004) Prognosis of lymph node metastasis in soft tissue sarcoma. Ann Surg Oncol 11:714–719. doi:10.1245/ASO.2004.04.027

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Biau DJ, Ferguson PC, Turcotte RE et al (2011) Adverse effect of older age on the recurrence of soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities and trunk. J Clin Oncol Official J Am Soc Clin Oncol 29:4029–4035. doi:10.1200/JCO.2010.34.0711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cahlon O, Brennan MF, Jia X et al (2012) A postoperative nomogram for local recurrence risk in extremity soft tissue sarcomas after limb-sparing surgery without adjuvant radiation. Ann Surg 255:343–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Canter RJ, Beal S, Borys D et al (2010) Interaction of histologic subtype and histologic grade in predicting survival for soft-tissue sarcomas. J Am Coll Surg 210:191–198.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2009.10.007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chan MF, Chui CS, Schupak K et al (2001) The treatment of large extraskeletal chondrosarcoma of the leg: comparison of IMRT and conformal radiotherapy techniques. J Appl Clin Med Phys/Am Coll Med Phys 2:3–8. doi:10.1120/1.1322676

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chibon F, Lagarde P, Salas S et al (2010) Validated prediction of clinical outcome in sarcomas and multiple types of cancer on the basis of a gene expression signature related to genome complexity. Nat Med 16:781–787. doi:10.1038/nm.2174

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dalal KM, Kattan MW, Antonescu CR et al (2006) Subtype specific prognostic nomogram for patients with primary liposarcoma of the retroperitoneum, extremity, or trunk. Ann Surg 244:381–391. doi:10.1097/01.sla.0000234795.98607.00

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis AM, O’Sullivan B, Turcotte R et al (2005) Late radiation morbidity following randomization to preoperative versus postoperative radiotherapy in extremity soft tissue sarcoma. Radiother Oncol J Eur Soc Ther Radiol Oncol 75:48–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delaney TF, Kepka L, Goldberg SI et al (2007) Radiation therapy for control of soft-tissue sarcomas resected with positive margins. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 67:1460–1469. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.11.035

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dickie CI, Parent AL, Griffin AM et al (2009) Bone fractures following external beam radiotherapy and limb-preservation surgery for lower extremity soft tissue sarcoma: relationship to irradiated bone length, volume, tumor location and dose. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 75:1119–1124. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.12.006

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edge SB, Byrd DR, Compton CC et al (2010) American Joint Committee on cancer staging manual 7th edn. Springer, New York, pp 291–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Edge SB, Byrd DR, Compton CC et al (2009) American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) cancer staging manual, 7th edn. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Eilber FC, Brennan MF, Eilber FR et al (2004) Validation of the postoperative nomogram for 12-year sarcoma-specific mortality. Cancer 101:2270–2275. doi:10.1002/cncr.20570

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farshadpour F, Schaapveld M, Suurmeijer AJH et al (2005) Soft tissue sarcoma: why not treated? Crit Rev Oncol/Hematol 54:77–83. doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2004.10.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fong Y, Coit DG, Woodruff JM, Brennan MF (1993) Lymph node metastasis from soft tissue sarcoma in adults. Analysis of data from a prospective database of 1772 sarcoma patients. Ann Surg 217:72–77

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hall E, Wuu C (2003) Radiation-induced second cancers: the impact of 3D-CRT and IMRT. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 56(1):83–88

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Helmstedter CS, Goebel M, Zlotecki R, Scarborough MT (2001) Pathologic fractures after surgery and radiation for soft tissue tumors. Clin Orthop Relat Res 389:165–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt GE, Griffin AM, Pintilie M et al (2005) Fractures following radiotherapy and limb-salvage surgery for lower extremity soft-tissue sarcomas. A comparison of high-dose and low-dose radiotherapy. J Bone Joint Surg Am 87:315–319. doi:10.2106/JBJS.C.01714

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hong L, Alektiar KM, Hunt M et al (2004) Intensity-modulated radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma of the thigh. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 59:752–759. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2003.11.037

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kattan MW (2002) Postoperative nomogram for 12-year sarcoma-specific death. J Clin Oncol 20:791–796. doi:10.1200/JCO.20.3.791

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levay J, O’sullivan B, Catton C et al (1993) Outcome and prognostic factors in soft tissue sarcoma in the adult. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 27:1091–1099. doi: 10.1016/0360-3016(93)90529-5

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis JJ, Leung D, Woodruff JM, Brennan MF (1998) Retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcoma: analysis of 500 patients treated and followed at a single institution. Ann Surg 228:355–365

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lin PP, Boland PJ, Healey JH (1998) Treatment of femoral fractures after irradiation. Clin Orthop Relat Res 352:168–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansour JC, Schwarz RE (2009) Pathologic response to preoperative therapy: does it mean what we think it means? Ann Surg Oncol 16:1465–1479. doi:10.1245/s10434-009-0374-z

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mazeron J–J, Suit HD (1987) Lymph nodes as sites of metastases from sarcomas of soft tissue. Cancer 60:1800–1808. doi:10.1002/1097-0142(19871015)60:8<1800:AID-CNCR2820600822>3.0.CO;2-N

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mendenhall WM, Zlotecki RA, Hochwald SN et al (2005) Retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma. Cancer 104:669–675. doi:10.1002/cncr.21264

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nathan H, Raut CP, Thornton K et al (2009) Predictors of survival after resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma: a population-based analysis and critical appraisal of the AJCC staging system. Ann Surg 250:970–976. doi:10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181b25183

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Novais EN, Demiralp B, Alderete J et al (2010) Do surgical margin and local recurrence influence survival in soft tissue sarcomas? Clin Orthop Relat Res 468:3003–3011. doi:10.1007/s11999-010-1471-9

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Sullivan B, Davis AM, Turcotte R et al (2002) Preoperative versus postoperative radiotherapy in soft-tissue sarcoma of the limbs: a randomised trial. Lancet 359:2235–2241. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09292-9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Sullivan B, Davis AM, Turcotte R et al (2004) Five-year results of a randomized phase III trial of pre-operative vs. post-operative radiotherapy in extremity soft tissue sarcoma. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 23:815

    Google Scholar 

  • Pisters PW, Leung DH, Woodruff J et al (1996) Analysis of prognostic factors in 1,041 patients with localized soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities. J Clin Oncol Official J Am Soc Clin Oncol 14:1679–1689

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pisters PWT, Pollock RE, Lewis VO et al (2007) Long-term results of prospective trial of surgery alone with selective use of radiation for patients with T1 extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcomas. Ann Surg 246:675–681; discussion 681–2. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e318155a9ae

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg SA, Tepper J, Glatstein E et al (1982) The treatment of soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities: prospective randomized evaluations of (1) limb-sparing surgery plus radiation therapy compared with amputation and (2) the role of adjuvant chemotherapy. Ann Surg 196:305–315

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rydholm A, Gustafson P, Rööser B et al (1991) Limb-sparing surgery without radiotherapy based on anatomic location of soft tissue sarcoma. J Clin Oncol Official J Am Soc Clin Oncol 9:1757–1765

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sabolch A, Feng M, Griffith K et al (2012) Risk factors for local recurrence and metastasis in soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity. Am J Clin Oncol 35:151–157. doi:10.1097/COC.0b013e318209cd72

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salas S, Stoeckle E, Collin F et al (2009) Superficial soft tissue sarcomas (S-STS): a study of 367 patients from the French sarcoma group (FSG) database. Eur J Cancer 45:2091–2102 (Oxford, England: 1990). doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2009.03.006

    Google Scholar 

  • SEER Database, NCI. In: Surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) program, National Cancer Institute. http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2009_pops09/results_single/sect_01_table.01.pdf

  • Shah D, Borys D, Martinez SR et al (2012) Complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant radiotherapy is predictive of oncological outcome in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Anticancer Res 32:3911–3915

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singer S, Antonescu CR, Riedel E, Brennan MF (2003) Histologic subtype and margin of resection predict pattern of recurrence and survival for retroperitoneal liposarcoma. Ann Surg 238:358–370; discussion 370–1. doi: 10.1097/01.sla.0000086542.11899.38

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoeckle E, Coindre JM, Bonvalot S et al (2001) Prognostic factors in retroperitoneal sarcoma: a multivariate analysis of a series of 165 patients of the French cancer center federation sarcoma group. Cancer 92:359–368

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stojadinovic A, Leung DHY, Hoos A et al (2002) Analysis of the prognostic significance of microscopic margins in 2,084 localized primary adult soft tissue sarcomas. Ann Surg 235:424–434

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suit HD, Mankin HJ, Wood WC et al (1988) Treatment of the patient with stage M0 soft tissue sarcoma. J Clin Oncol Official J Am Soc Clin Oncol 6:854–862

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Willett CG, Schiller AL, Suit HD et al (1987) The histologic response of soft tissue sarcoma to radiation therapy. Cancer 60:1500–1504

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zagars GK, Ballo MT, Pisters PWT et al (2003a) Prognostic factors for patients with localized soft-tissue sarcoma treated with conservation surgery and radiation therapy: an analysis of 1225 patients. Cancer 97:2530–2543. doi:10.1002/cncr.11365

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zagars GK, Ballo MT, Pisters PWT et al (2003b) Prognostic factors for disease-specific survival after first relapse of soft-tissue sarcoma: analysis of 402 patients with disease relapse after initial conservative surgery and radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 57:739–747

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to William P. Levin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Levin, W.P., DeLaney, T.F. (2013). Sarcoma. In: Nieder, C., Gaspar, L. (eds) Decision Tools for Radiation Oncology. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2013_857

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2013_857

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37101-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37102-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics