Efficacy of surgery in the management of multiple recurrences of retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma

Background Retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma is associated with a high risk of recurrence; however, treatment strategies that are more effective than surgery remain to be established. This study aimed to determine the optimal number of surgeries that would be effective for patients with recurrent disease. Furthermore, the improvement in prognosis was evaluated according to the malignancy level. Methods The effect of each type of surgery on the prognosis of 118 patients with retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma treated at the Osaka International Cancer Institute between 1997 and 2022 was investigated. Among the 118 patients, 103 underwent initial surgery, while 54 and 30 patients underwent second and third surgeries, respectively. The overall and disease-free survival rates of each group were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to determine statistical significance in univariate analysis. F-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) was used to assess malignancy. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of >= 4 and < 4 were classified as high and low malignancy, respectively. Results The first and second surgeries resulted in a significant improvement in the overall survival rate, regardless of the malignancy level (p < 0.001); however, no significant improvement in prognosis was observed after the third surgery (p = 0.077). Low-grade malignancies are associated with a better postoperative prognosis, even in cases of recurrence. In contrast, high-grade malignancies exhibit a reduction in surgical efficacy. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of considering the tumor malignancy level and the patient's overall condition when deciding whether to perform repeated surgical interventions. Surgical treatment can prolong overall survival, even in patients with recurrence; however, it is advisable to assess malignancy levels when determining the suitability of surgery beyond the second recurrence.