Introduction: Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) are rare mesenchymal tumors that account for only 0.1-0.2% of all malignancies. Management of this disease is challenging, and resection remains the cornerstone of treatment. Ongoing international collaboration has expanded our knowledge of this disease, allowing for a more personalized approach to RPS patients resulting in improved survival over time. Due to the heterogeneity of RPS, with differing recurrence patterns and sensitivities to neoadjuvant therapies based on histology and grade, management of RPS should be tailored to the individual patient.
Areas covered: Our review focuses on a histology-driven approach in the management of primary RPS. We searched relevant articles from 1993 to 2023 that investigated prognostic factors and treatment of patients with RPS and summarized recent advances and future directions in the field.
Expert opinion: Deeper understanding of the role of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and ongoing trials investigating the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy will potentially contribute to the development of individualized treatment pathways.
Keywords: Sarcoma; chemotherapy; leiomyosarcoma; liposarcoma; radiotherapy; retroperitoneal Sarcoma.