Retroperitoneal sarcomas - A retrospective study

Outcomes of the management of retroperitoneal sarcoma in the Northern Alberta (NA), Canada was examined in this study. 75 patients (34 females and 41 males, age range 30-87 years) underwent operations at the CCI for PRS (sarcomas represented 61% of all the cases). A retrospective analysis of these patients was performed to determine the prognostic parameters associated with a favorable prognosis. Complete resection was possible in 33% of cases (n = 25), incomplete resection was performed in 35% (n = 26) and in 32% (n = 24) only biopsy was possible. Frequently resected adjacent organs were: kidney (15%), colon (10%) and pancreas (6%). Univariate analysis demonstrated that complete resection was an independent factor for survival as compared to partial resection or biopsy alone (p=0.001). Patients with complete resection had a 12 month survival of 100% (n = 25) compared to 84% (n = 22) for those undergoing partial resection and 25% (n = 5) for those with simple biopsy. A 24-month survival of the patients undergoing complete resection was 88% (n = 22). Median survival for type of surgical treatment was 91.2 (88.2-104.9) months for complete resection compared to 30.4 (24.2-41.5) months for partial resection and only 5.7 (2.6-8.1) months for biopsy. Complete resection is the cornerstone of the treatment and is important for long-term survival in patients with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas.