Abstract

PURPOSE
To determine the clinical feature, surgical management of primary and recurrent disease, predictive factors for outcome, and impact of multimodality therapy in retroperitoneal sarcoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
60 patients were confirmed pathologically as soft-tissue sarcoma of the retroperitoneum by operation or needle biopsy in Seoul National University Hospital from 1983 to 1995. A retrospective analysis was performed.
RESULTS
The abdominal mass was common presenting symptom. Histologically liposarcomas(25%) and leiomyosarcomas(23.3%) were most common, and MFHs(11.7%) and malignant schwannomas(11.7%) followed. The overall 5 year survival rate was 54.6%. Complete resection was possible in 51.7% of patients and strongly predicts outcome (<0.0001). These patients had a median survival of 130 months compared to 20 months for those undergoing partial resection and 9 months for those with unresectable tumors. 11(35%) of completely resected patients have had local recurrence. These patients underwent reoperation when feasible. Complete resection of recurrent disease was performed in 10 patients(90%), with a 42 months median survival time after reoperation. Resection of adjacent organ was performed in 19 patients. 14 of these were completely resected, and showed 100% of 5 year survival rate. Tumor grade was not a significant predictor of outcome. Gender, histologic type, encapsulation, stage, resectability, combined resection were significant prognostic factors by univariate analysis. But resectability was only independent prognostic factor on mutivariate analysis. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy could not be shown to have significant impact on survival.
CONCLUSION
Complete resection is the most important prognostic factor of retroperitoneal sarcoma. Extensive and aggressive surgery must be considered including resection of adjacent organs. Multiple resection seems to improve survival in recunent cases.

• Keywords: Retroperitoneal sarcoma