Analysis of results of soft tissue sarcoma margins revision surgery

Abstract

Introduction: Patients from other centres where they have had an unplanned surgical resection of a soft tissue sarcoma are often referred to hospitals specialised in sarcomas.

Material and methods: A study was conducted on 35 patients who required this type of surgery were referred to our center between November 2001 and July 2013.

Results: Surgery had been performed on 29% of the patients without any complementary tests being done. In 75% of cases, the sarcoma diagnosis was discovered in the post-surgical histological study. Synovial sarcoma was the most common, affecting 38% of the patients. A surgical revision of the margins was performed on all of them, and adjuvant treatment was performed on 86% of them. The histopathology study found that 69% of the patients had residual disease. At the end of follow-up, 12% had a local recurrence, another 12% distant metastases, and 3% had died.

Conclusion: Given the results, it is concluded that any tumour of the soft tissues in which malignancy is suspected has to be resected in a reference centre. If an unplanned esection was performed in another centre, it should be referred immediately in order to perform an imaging study, revision surgery, and if required, adjuvant treatment.

Keywords: Cirugía no planeada; Margins; Margins revision; Márgenes; Revisión de márgenes; Sarcoma; Unplanned surgery.