Principles of treatment for soft tissue sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are mesenchymal tumors arising from connective tissue elements and are grouped together based on a common biologic behavior. The most common histologic types include malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (schwannoma and neurofibrosarcoma) "hemangiopericytoma," fibrosarcoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. These tumors are relatively slow growing yet locally invasive with a high rate of recurrence following conservative management. Appropriate preoperative planning and aggressive surgical resection often result in long-term remission or cure. Identification and evaluation of resection margins are paramount in appropriate case management. The addition of radiotherapy after surgical resection can aid in remission for incompletely resected masses. Systemic chemotherapy for STS should be considered for high-grade tumors with a moderate metastatic potential. Potential prognostic factors include grade, resection margins, size, location, histologic type, and previous treatment, with grade and margins being the most important. Tumor types classified as STS that differ slightly in their presentation or treatment, including synovial cell sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, and vaccine-associated STS in cats, are discussed. Soft tissue sarcomas can be a frustrating disease to treat, but adherence to solid surgical oncology principles can greatly increase the odds of good disease control.