Soft-Tissue Sarcomas: An Update for Radiologists Based on the Revised 2013 World Health Organization Classification

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2016 May;206(5):924-32. doi: 10.2214/AJR.15.15498. Epub 2016 Mar 21.

Abstract

Objective: Soft-tissue sarcomas are a diverse group of malignancies, and our rapidly improving understanding of their molecular pathogenesis and treatment is leading to better clinical outcomes. The revised 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of soft-tissue sarcomas introduced several important changes. We provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant changes for radiologists.

Conclusion: Rapid advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular biology of soft-tissue sarcomas led to major revisions in the 2013 WHO classification. To provide optimal multidisciplinary patient care, radiologists must remain up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of soft-tissue sarcomas to best correlate the histologic and imaging features of the various types of tumors and understand the unique patterns of treatment response and disease recurrence.

Keywords: World Health Organization (WHO) classification; soft-tissue sarcoma.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Sarcoma / classification*
  • Sarcoma / diagnosis*
  • Sarcoma / genetics
  • Sarcoma / pathology
  • World Health Organization