Introduction: The aims of our study were (1) to determine disease-specific and disease-free survival after the en-bloc resection of sacral chordomas and (2) to investigate potential risk factors for tumor recurrence and major postoperative wound-related complications. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 27 consecutive patients with sacral chordomas who were surgically treated in our institution between 2004 and 2022. Three patients (11.1%) had a recurrent tumor and four patients (14.8%) had history of a second primary solid tumor prior to or after their sacral chordoma. A combined anterior and posterior approach, colostomy, plastic reconstruction, and spinopelvic instrumentation were necessitated in 51.9%, 29.6%, 37%, and 7.4% of cases, respectively. The mean duration of follow-up was 58 ± 41 months (range= 12-170). Death-related-to-disease, disease recurrence, and major surgical site complications were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and investigation of the respective risk factors was performed with Cox hazard regression. Results: The estimated 5-year and 10-year disease-specific survival was 75.3% (95% CI = 49.1-87.5%) and 52.7% (95% CI = 31-73.8%), respectively. The estimated 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year disease-free survival regarding local and distant disease recurrence was 80.4% (95% CI = 60.9-91.1%), 53.9% (95% CI = 24.6-66.3%), and 38.5% (95% CI = 16.3-56.2%), respectively. The mean survival of the recurred patients was 61.7 ± 33.4 months after their tumor resection surgery. Conclusions: Despite the high relapse rates and perioperative morbidity, long-term patient survival is not severely impaired. Positive or less than 2 mm negative resection margins have a significant association with disease progression.
Keywords: chordoma; recurrence; risk factors; sacrectomy; wound-related complications.