Surgical therapy of abdominal and trunk soft tissue sarcomas

• Published in: Chirurg Vol. 80; no. 3; p. 202
• Main Authors: Schimmack, S, Büchler, M W, Weitz, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.03.2009
• Subjects: Abdominal Neoplasms - mortality; Abdominal Neoplasms - pathology; Abdominal Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Abdominal Neoplasms - surgery; Cancer Care Facilities; Disease Progression; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - mortality; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - pathology; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - radiotherapy; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - surgery; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms - mortality; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms - pathology; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms - surgery; Sarcoma - mortality; Sarcoma - pathology; Sarcoma - radiotherapy; Sarcoma - surgery; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - mortality; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - pathology; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - surgery; Thoracic Neoplasms - mortality; Thoracic Neoplasms - pathology; Thoracic Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Thoracic Neoplasms - surgery
• ISSN: 1433-0385
• DOI: 10.1007/s00104-008-1596-5

Soft tissue sarcomas are rare tumours of mesenchymal cells which can arise in all parts of the body. Sarcomas of the trunk and abdominal cavity are a very heterogeneous group of tumours. This review focuses on retroperitoneal sarcomas, which tend to be asymptomatic for a long time, resulting in an advanced stage at presentation in most patients. Surgical resection is the basis for cure in these patients, possibly combined with radiation. In contrast to extremity sarcomas, the majority of patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas succumb to an isolated local recurrence of the disease. In case of local recurrence or distant metastases, surgical resection should again be contemplated.