Diagnosis Of Soft Tissue Sarcomas Research Articles

Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) for Differential Diagnosis of Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Introduction:Soft tissue sarcomas are rare tumors comprising 1 percent of solid malignancies. The latest edition of WHO soft tissue pathology lists 94 benign and malignant soft tissue tumors. Many of these show a large degree of morphological overlap. Immunohistochemistry has been shown to be reliable in many cases for differential diagnosis of lesions, although cytogenetic tests are considered the gold standard for many entities.Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) is a cytogenetic technique that uses fluorescent probes that bind to only those parts of the chromosome which have a high degree of sequence complementarity. Many soft tissue tumors show recurrent genetic mutations that are now being used as diagnostic markers. Knowledge of the molecular identity allows prediction of behavior, prognosis and treatment response.Objective:The aim of this study was to identify genetic mutations in soft tissue sarcomas using FISH testing and to assess correlations with histological diagnosis.Material and methods:A total of 25 cases of different soft tissue sarcomas diagnosed on histology with the help of immunohistochemical staining and for which FISH studies were requested were included in this study. Three pathologists with a special interest in soft tissue sarcomas reviewed the cases. FISH tests for EWS, the X:18 translocation, FOXO1 and MDM2 were respectively applied for 8 cases of Ewing sarcoma, 8 cases of synovial sarcoma, 2 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma and 7 cases of dedifferentiated liposarcoma and atypical lipomatous tumors/well differentiated liposarcomas.Results:EWS gene fusion was detected in 7 out of 8 cases of Ewing sarcoma and the X: 18 translocation was positive in 3 of the 8 cases of synovial sarcoma. FOXO1 was not detected in either of the two rhabdomyosarcomas. MDM2 by FISH was detected in only one out of 5 cases of atypical lipomatous tumors and 1 out of 2 dedifferentiated liposarcomas.Conclusion:FISH is a useful adjunct in the diagnostic assessment of different types of soft tissue sarcomas. It is easy to set up, is relatively inexpensive and has the ability to diagnose sarcomas with great accuracy, especially in cases which can not be accurately classified even after thorough histological and immunohistochemical evaluation. It may play a very important role in the accurate diagnosis and correct management of patients.

Treatment Patterns and Survival among Adult Patients with Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Retrospective Medical Record Review in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and France.

Objective To describe real-world treatment patterns and outcomes for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) not amenable to surgery or radiotherapy in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and France. Methods Physicians completed a web-based medical record abstraction for adult patients with advanced STS (other than Kaposi's sarcoma or gastrointestinal stromal tumor) who received ≥1 line of systemic therapy. Clinical characteristics, treatments, tumor responses, and mortality data were recorded. Results A total of 130 physicians provided data for 807 patients. Patients' mean age at advanced STS diagnosis was 57.1 (±12.3) years; 59% were male. The most commonly identified histologic categories were leiomyosarcoma (28%), liposarcoma (13%), and rhabdomyosarcoma (11%). Overall, 57% of patients received only 1 line of therapy, 32% received 2 lines of therapy, and 11% received ≥3 lines of therapy. The most common first-line regimens were doxorubicin alone (41%), doxorubicin plus ifosfamide (19%), docetaxel plus gemcitabine (9%), paclitaxel alone (4%), and ifosfamide (4%). Median overall survival from start of treatment was estimated to be 17.6 months (95% confidence interval, 15.6–19.0 months). Conclusions In real-world clinical practice, advanced STS is most commonly treated with older therapies in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and France. New therapies that improve overall survival in advanced STS are needed.

The diagnostic and prognostic value of interleukin-6 in patients with soft tissue sarcomas

The presence of systemic inflammation has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has pleiotropic effects on various cell types in the tumor microenvironment. The aim of the present study was to determine whether serum IL-6 levels could be useful to assume the differentiation of benign soft tissue tumors from STS and to investigate the possible value of IL-6 for survival and oncological events in patients with STS. The medical records of 99 patients who underwent surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed. Serum IL-6 levels (median: 9.04 pg/ml) in patients with STS were statistically higher than those (3.31 pg/ml) in patients with benign soft tissue tumors. Our analyses confirmed that tumor size and IL-6 level were significant predictors of STS diagnosis. Next, we examined the relationship between IL-6 levels and survival in the 59 patients with STS. C-reactive protein levels, hemoglobin levels, and tumor grade were strongly correlated with IL-6 levels. Tumor grade and IL-6 level remained significant factors for survival and event-free survival. We suggest that measurement of IL-6 levels may be a useful method for identifying patients who are at a high risk of STS and tumor-related death.

Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy is Associated with R0 Resection and Improved Survival for Patients with Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma Undergoing Surgery: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is increasingly advocated for the management of soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Therefore, this study sought to characterize the impact of neoadjuvant RT on rates of R0 resection and overall survival (OS) in extremity STS patients undergoing surgery. From January 2003 to December 2012, the study identified patients with a diagnosis of extremity STS from the National Cancer Database. After exclusion of patients younger than 18years, not treated by surgery, who had metastases at diagnosis, intraoperative RT, and missing or unknown data, 27,969 patients were identified. Logistic regression and Cox-proportional hazard analysis were used to compare rates of R0 resection among preoperative, postoperative, and no-RT cohorts and to determine predictors of R0 resection and OS. The mean age of the patients was 59.5±17.1years, and 45.9% were female. The median tumor size was 10.5cm. The data showed that 51% of the patients did not receive RT, 11.8% received preoperative RT, and 37.2% received postoperative RT. The rates of R0 resection were 90.1% for the preoperative RT cohort, 74.9% for the postoperative RT cohort, and 79.9% for the no-RT cohort (P<0.001). The independent predictors for achievement of R0 resection included academic facility type (odds ratio [OR] 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-1.55), histologic subtype, tumor size (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.99-0.99), Charlson score (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.84-0.99), and preoperative RT (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.61-2.07). Both R0 resection and RT (pre- or post-operative) were associated with increased OS. Preoperative RT independently predicts higher rates of R0 resection for patients with extremity STS undergoing surgical resection. Negative surgical margins and pre- or postoperative RT are associated with improved OS.

Discordance of histo-pathological diagnosis of patients with soft tissue sarcoma referred to tertiary care center.

11064 Background: Reaching to the correct histo-pathological diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is a great challenge and is cornerstone for treatment planning. Need of expertise for diagnosis is limited by lack of expert pathologists and dedicated sarcoma oncologists in India. Through this study we highlight the pattern of pathological diagnosis and accuracy outside specialist centre. Methods: We did retrospective analysis of all patients referred to us with diagnosis of STS in the last 12 months (January 2016 to 2017). According to protocol, all patients had pathology review from our institute. If blocks were available then they were reviewed and if necessary, fresh biopsy was performed. Besides, pathological diagnosis was reviewed in joint clinic, giving clinico-radiological inputs to sarcoma pathologists. For patients diagnosed outside and had discordant report, we divided them into major discrepancy (including change of diagnosis of sarcoma to benign or other histological entity that could potentially change the treatment plan) or minor discrepancy (like mild change in grade or histopathological diagnosis not affecting the treatment plan). Results: There were 149 patients registered with median age of 36 years (14-77 years) and 93 patients (62.4%) were males. 85(57%) patients had localized disease. Most common subtypes were synovial sarcoma 16%, liposarcoma 9%, soft tissue ewings sarcoma 9%, MPNST 9%, leiomyosarcoma 8%, pleomorphic undifferentiated sarcoma 8% etc. Of 149 patients, 42 had not been worked up outside and thus comparison was not possible while 4 patients couldn’t retrieve blocks and repeat biopsy could not be performed. Of 97 patients (biopsy = 84, FNAC = 13) who had diagnosis from outside, 37% had major discrepancy and 24% had minor discrepancy compared with our biopsy review. Major discrepancy was more in non extremity than extremity STS (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Pathological diagnosis of more than half of patients referred from outside was discordant with respect to diagnosis of our centre with major implications on 37%. We believe this is due to lack of sarcoma pathology experts and virtually non-existent multidisciplinary clinics in set up outside tertiary care centres.

Metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) in elderly patients: 18 years of monoinstitutional experience.

e22528 Background: Elderly people represent more than 50% of STS patients, but few data are available in this population and old patients in clinical studies are underrepresented or not included. Aim of this retrospective, monoinstitutional study is to describe the activity and feasibility of first and second line chemotherapy in elderly patients with metastatic STS. Methods: Patients older than 65, with metastatic STS of the scalp, trunk, girdles and extremities, treated and followed from February 1998 to December 2015 in an Italian referral Center for diagnosis and care of STS were included. Median Overall survival (OS) was the principal end point calculated from the start of chemotherapy to the last date of follow up or death. Response rate and toxicities related to type of administered chemotherapy were the secondary end points. Results: 134 patients (79 M, 55F) were considered, (65-70 y) 63%, (71- 75y) 25%, ( &gt; 76 y)11% . STS histologies: mixoid and round cell liposarcomas (34%), leiomyosarcomas (25%), pleomorphic undifferentiated sarcomas (13%), Angiosarcoma (10%), Mixofibrosarcoma (6%), MPNST (4%), synovial sarcoma (2%), other histologies (6%). All the patients received at least one course chemotherapy (1-12). Mono CT was the preferred administered schedule (92%of cases). Median OS was 7.3 months; at the time of this analysis only 14 patients were alive (10%). In the first line therapy we recorded 1 CR, 14 PR and 43 SD. In second line therapy no CR, 4 PR, 23 SD. PR were recorded mainly in 65-70y old patients. Bad PS, low score in Comprehensive Geriatric Assesment (CGA), vulnerability, comorbidities, number of metastasis, were negative prognostic factors. No toxic death were recorded. 12% of the pts were recovered for febrile neutropenia, thrombocitopenia and mucositis . Conclusions: Our study confirms that elderly patients with metastatic STS is a difficult population to be treated. Only patients less aged, good PS, good GCA and 0-1 comorbidities can be treated with full dose of drug, generally with mono CT. Chemotherapy in elderly pts doesn’t produce a significant improvement in Median Survival and benefit observed support the routine use of citotoxic treatment in selected good performance status population.

Intra- and inter-observer agreement in histological assessment of canine soft tissue sarcoma.

The diagnosis of canine soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is based on histological assessment. Assessment of criteria such as, degree of differentiation, necrosis score and mitotic score, gives rise to a final tumour grade, which is important in the recommendation of treatment and prognosis of patients. Previously diagnosed cases of STS were independently assessed by three board-certified veterinary pathologists. Participating pathologists were blinded to the original results. For the intra-observer study, the cases were assessed by a single pathologist six months apart and slides were randomized between readings. For the inter-observer study, the whole case series was assessed by a single pathologist before being passed onto the next pathologist. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Fleiss's Kappa (ƙ) for the intra- (single observer) and inter-observer agreement. Strong agreement was observed for the intra-observer assessment in necrosis score, mitotic score, total score and tumour grading (ICC between 0.78 to 0.91). The intra-observer agreement for differentiation score was rated perfect (ICC 1.00). The agreement between pathologists for the diagnosis and grading of canine STS was moderate (ƙ = 0.60 and 0.43 respectively). Histological assessment of canine STS had high reproducibility by an individual pathologist. The agreement of diagnosis and grading of canine STS was moderate between pathologists. Future studies are required to investigate further assessment criteria to improve the specificity of STS diagnosis and the accuracy of the STS grading in dogs.

The Patient Experience with Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogenous group of rare tumors that involve the connective tissue in the body (e.g. muscle, tendons). As with many rare tumors, little is known about the impact of STS on patient well-being. The aim of this review was to better understand current knowledge related to patient experience and quality of life (QOL) following diagnosis of STS. A systematic review of English-language articles published from 2005 to 2015 was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, and Evidence-Based Medicine databases. The review included recent conference proceedings and advocacy websites. Articles were eligible if they included adult STS patient-reported outcomes (PROs) or details on patient experience. Overall, 3430 articles were identified and 20 were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 14 were clinical studies that included PRO measures, 1 summarized PRO measures used in STS studies, and 5 described the STS patient experience. Patients with STS report a range of impacts on QOL, including emotional well-being, body image, functional deficit following surgery, and practical considerations such as child care and work. Few studies have published either qualitative or quantitative data on the patient experience with STS. While STS has a measurable impact on QOL, there is a lack of detailed information in the published literature. Although PROs are used in clinical studies of STS, they are not STS-specific and may not capture the unique needs of this population. There is a need for qualitative research to better understand both patient and caregiver experiences in STS.

Unclassified sarcomas: a study to improve classification in a cohort of Golden Retriever dogs.

Morphologically, canine soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) resemble human STSs. In humans, proper classification of STSs is considered essential to improve insight in the biology of these tumors, and to optimize diagnosis and therapy. To date, there is a paucity of data published on the significance of detailed classification of STSs in the dog. We revised a cohort (n = 110) of proliferative lesions obtained from a study in Golden Retrievers that were considered "soft tissue sarcoma, not otherwise specified or of uncertain subtype" in order to optimize the diagnoses of these lesions. The criteria according to the veterinary WHO classification, recent veterinary literature, and the WHO classification for humans were applied. Revision was initially based on morphologic characteristics of hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic sections of the neoplasms. If considered necessary (n = 76), additional immunohistochemistry was applied to aid characterization. The diagnosis of STS was confirmed in 75 neoplasms (68%). Of this group, diagnosis of a specific subtype of the STSs was possible in 58 neoplasms. Seven neoplasms had morphologic characteristics that were suggestive for sarcoma subtypes only described in the WHO classification for humans. Seventeen neoplasms remained "unclassified STSs." Thirty-one lesions (28%) were diagnosed "neoplasm, not being STS." Four lesions (4%) were considered nonneoplastic. Because incorrect classification of a tumor could lead to inappropriate therapeutic intervention and prognostication, the results of our study clearly illustrate the importance of revision and further diagnosis of "unclassified STSs" in dogs.

Predictors of residual disease after unplanned excision of soft tissue sarcomas

BackgroundUnplanned excision of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is an important quality of care issue given the morbidity related to tumor bed excision. Since not all patients harbor residual disease at the time of reexcision, we sought to determine predictors of residual STS following unplanned excision. MethodsWe identified 76 patients from a prospective database (January 1, 2008-September 30, 2014) who received a diagnosis of primary STS following unplanned excision on the trunk or extremities. We used univariable and multivariable analyses to evaluate predictors of residual STS as the primary endpoint. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of interval magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict residual sarcoma at reexcision. ResultsMean age was 52 y, and 63.2% were male. 50% had fragmented unplanned excision. Among patients undergoing reexcision, residual STS was identified in 70%. On univariable analysis, MRI showing gross disease and fragmented excision were significant predictors of residual STS (odds ratio, 10.59; 95% CI, 2.14-52.49; P = 0.004 and odds ratio, 3.61; 95% CI, 1.09-11.94; P = 0.035, respectively). On multivariable analysis, tumor size predicted distant recurrence and overall survival. When we combined equivocal and positive MRI, the sensitivity and specificity of MRI for predicting residual STS were 86.7% (95% CI, 73.2%-95.0%) and 57.9% (95% CI, 33.5%-79.8%), with an overall accuracy of 78.1% (95% CI, 66.0%-87.5%). ConclusionsAbout 70% of patients undergoing repeat excision after unplanned excision of STS harbor residual sarcoma. Although interval MRI and fragmented excision appear to be the most significant predictors of residual STS, the accuracy of MRI remains modest, especially given the incidence of equivocal MRI.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Version 2.2016, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare solid tumors of mesenchymal cell origin that display a heterogenous mix of clinical and pathologic characteristics. STS can develop from fat, muscle, nerves, blood vessels, and other connective tissues. The evaluation and treatment of patients with STS requires a multidisciplinary team with demonstrated expertise in the management of these tumors. The complete NCCN Guidelines for Soft Tissue Sarcoma (available at NCCN.org) provide recommendations for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of extremity/superficial trunk/head and neck STS, as well as intra-abdominal/retroperitoneal STS, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, desmoid tumors, and rhabdomyosarcoma. This manuscript discusses guiding principles for the diagnosis and staging of STS and evidence for treatment modalities that include surgery, radiation, chemoradiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.

Primary Care Use before Cancer Diagnosis in Adolescents and Young Adults - A Nationwide Register Study.

IntroductionSurvival rates of cancer patients have generally improved in recent years. However, children and older adults seem to have experienced more significant clinical benefits than adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Previous studies suggest a prolonged diagnostic pathway in AYAs, but little is known about their pre-diagnostic healthcare use. This study investigates the use of primary care among AYAs during the two years preceding a cancer diagnosis.MethodsThe study is a retrospective population-based matched cohort study using Danish nationwide registry data. All persons diagnosed with cancer during 2002–2011 in the age group 15–39 years were included (N = 12,306); each participant was matched on gender, age and general practice with 10 randomly selected references (N = 123,060). The use of primary healthcare services (face-to-face contacts, blood tests and psychometric tests) was measured during the two years preceding the diagnosis (index date), and collected data were analysed in a negative binomial regression model.ResultsThe cases generally increased their use of primary care already from 8 months before a cancer diagnosis, whereas a similar trend was not found for controls. The increase was observed for all cancer types, but it started at different times: 17 months before a diagnosis of CNS tumour, 12 months before a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, 9 months before a diagnosis of lymphoma, 5–6 months before a diagnosis of leukaemia, bone tumour or GCT, and 3 months before a diagnosis of malignant melanoma.ConclusionThe use of primary care among AYAs increase several months before a cancer diagnosis. The diagnostic intervals are generally short for malignant melanomas and long for brain tumours. A prolonged diagnostic pathway may indicate non-specific or vague symptomatology and low awareness of cancer among AYAs primary-care personnel. The findings suggest potential of faster cancer diagnosis in AYAs.

Cardiac dysfunction among soft tissue sarcoma patients in Denmark.

PurposeSoft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients may experience post-treatment cardiotoxicity, yet no population-based data exist. We examined the incidence of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decline, heart failure, and cardiac death following STS diagnosis among adults, using Danish patient registries and medical record review.Patients and methodsLVEF decline was examined in a regional cohort of STS patients diagnosed during 1997–2011 in Western Denmark for whom cardiac imaging data were available. LVEF decline was defined as an absolute decline from baseline to follow-up of 10% or more, or, where baseline imaging was not available, a decline below the lower limit of normal (or 40%) for a follow-up LVEF. Heart failure and cardiac death were investigated in a national Danish cohort of all STS patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2009. We followed patients from STS diagnosis until heart failure, cardiac death, emigration or December 31, 2012 (whichever occurred first).ResultsThe incidence rate of LVEF decline for the regional cohort with follow-up data (N=100, five events) or baseline and follow-up measurements (N=75, 19 events) was 16.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.0–40.3) and 108 (95% CI: 69–170), respectively, per 1,000 person-years. In the national cohort (N=1,187), the incidence of heart failure (40 events) and cardiac death (15 events) was 7.3 (95% CI: 5.4–10.0) and 2.7 (95% CI: 1.6–4.5), respectively, per 1,000 person-years. The strongest predictors of heart failure were doxorubicin treatment (hazard ratio [HR] =2.2, 95% CI: 0.5–10.2) and pre-existing cardiovascular disease (HR=6.3, 95% CI: 0.98–40.6).ConclusionLVEF decline occurred more frequently compared to heart failure or cardiac death in a nationally representative cohort of Danish STS patients.

The role of molecular testing in soft tissue sarcoma diagnosis

The role of molecular testing in soft tissue sarcoma diagnosis

Understanding the patient experience with soft tissue sarcoma: A systematic review of the literature.

61 Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogenous group of rare tumors that involve the connective tissue in the body. As with many rare tumors, little is known about the impact of STS on patient well-being. The objective of this review was to understand patient experience and quality of life (QOL) following diagnosis of STS. Methods: This was a systematic review of English language articles published between 2005-2015 in PubMed/Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, and Evidence-Based Medicine. The review included recent conference proceedings and resources from advocacy websites. Articles were considered relevant if they included adult STS patient reported outcomes (PROs) or details on patient experience. Results: Of the 3,430 articles identified, 20 were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 14 were clinical studies that included PRO measures, 1 summarized PRO measures used in STS studies, and 5 described the STS patient experience. Patients with STS report a variety of concerns including emotional well-being (e.g. anxiety, depression), body image, functional deficit following surgery, and practical considerations such as obtaining child care and ability to work. Reports of patient experience vary widely given the heterogeneity of STS and individualized treatment. In clinical studies that used PROs, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) was the most commonly used cancer-specific measure (N = 5) followed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (N = 2). The generic EQ-5D was used in 5 publications but was limited to the visual analog scale portion of the measure in two of these studies. Similar to other cancers, STS patients report lower QOL when compared to the general population. Conclusions: Few studies have published either qualitative or quantitative data on the patient experience with STS. While STS has a measurable impact on QOL, there is a lack of detailed information in the published literature. Although PROs are often used in clinical studies of STS, they are not STS-specific tools and may not capture the unique needs of this population. There is a need for qualitative research to better understand the patient perspective of STS.

Managing Soft Tissue Sarcomas in a Developing Health System.

The gold standard for treatment of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) includes wide local excision and limb salvage surgery. There is currently a lack of reports on the effectiveness of these techniques in a resource-poor setting with a lack of access to imaging and adjuvant therapies. This article reports the experience and outcome of patients presenting with STS to the Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Patients with a diagnosis of STS and the operations they received were retrospectively sourced from the CSC database. Follow-up data were obtained through a telephone questionnaire and home visits. Forty STS patients were identified. Definitive surgery was performed in 31 cases, the majority receiving initial local excision of the lesion (19/31), some went on to have secondary amputations (5/19), and the rest had primary amputation (12/31). Eight patients suffered perioperative complications: 6 had infections, 1 haemorrhage, and 1 patient suffered from prolonged pain. Follow-up information was available for 25 patients, 8 of whom survived whilst 17 had died. Two of the deceased and 2 of the surviving patients had received adjuvant therapy. Seven survivors reported that they had resumed employment. Estimated average survival for STS in Cambodia was 25months with a 58% 1-year survival rate in treated cases. Despite the loss to follow-up, some STS patients in Cambodia have been successfully managed by the CSC. An evolving increase in survival will hopefully be seen as access to adjuvant therapies and imaging technology improves.

Extremity soft tissue sarcoma with multiple primary malignancies – Characteristics and outcome

BackgroundUnderstanding the incidence and characteristics of multiple primary malignancies (MPM) has implications for guiding appropriate treatment and surveillance of extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS). ObjectivesWe sought to examine the incidence of MPM in STS (MPM-STS), and compare their clinicopathologic characteristics and survival to those with STS only. Methods585 patients who underwent surgery for extremity STS were reviewed. Logistic regression analyses to identify factors contributing to the development of MPMs and a 1:2 matched case–control analysis to compare survival outcome were performed. ResultsOf the 585 patients analyzed, 34 (6%) with MPM were identified. On univariate logistic regression analysis, older age (>49 years) at STS diagnosis (p = 0.008) and histologic types of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma or myxofibrosarcoma (p = 0.033) were significant. In multivariate analysis, only older age at STS diagnosis remained significant (OR = 2.5, p = 0.029). Cancer-specific survival of the MPM-STS group was significantly lower than that of the STS-only group (p = 0.031). However, there was no significant difference in STS-specific survival between the two groups (p = 0.208). ConclusionOur study suggests that MPM is not uncommon in extremity STS and older age at STS diagnosis is associated with risk of MPM. Prognosis of STS in the MPM-STS group seems similar to that of the STS-only group.

Ewings Sarcoma-Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumour-Rare Extraosseous Presentation

Introduction: Ewings sarcoma is uncommon in extra osseous locations. They belong to Ewings family of tumours and the primitive neuroectodermal tumour is often diagnosed based on immuno histochemistry and molecular genetic studies. Discussion: A 50-year-old gentleman presented with complaints of a swelling in the right thigh. With a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, the patient underwent a wide local excision of the tumour. We review literature of the small round blue cell tumour. Conclusion: Extraosseous Ewings sarcoma presenting as a thigh swelling is uncommon. The sarcoma was vimentin positive and CD99 membrane positivity.

The Burden of Unplanned Excision of Soft Tissue Tumours in Developing Countries: A 10-Years’ Experience at a Regional Cancer Centre

Background: Local recurrence in soft tissue sarcomas is the major onus of the disease which could result in nonfunctioning extremities. The local recurrence of soft tissue tumours is the major morbidity and cause for this is the unplanned surgery at inexperienced peripheral centers. We noticed that a major proportion approximate one fourth patient with soft tissue tumours presented in outdoor, were with residual or recurrent lesion. Aim: The aim was to examine the clinical and pathological profile of soft tissue tumours that had undergone unplanned excision in aspect to the natural event of recurrence in respect to surgery which has been performed. Materials and methods: In total, 126 patients who had undergone prior surgery of the tumour without oncological planning presented to our institute with residual or recurrent soft tissue tumours between January 2005 to December 2014 were analyzed in a retrospective study. Results: There were a total of 126 patients analyzed. The mean age was 44.3 ± 16.9 years. Average duration from previous unplanned excision to presentation was 5.3 months (1-57 months). 29 patients were presented immediately after the first surgery with clinical residual lesion with a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, while 97 patients presented after apparent local recurrence. Most of the tumours were almost evenly distributed among low and high grade (40.5% vs. 59.5%), superficial and deep seated (48.4% vs. 51.6%), and <5 cm in size (62.9%). 99 (78.6%) patients presented within 24 months after unplanned excision. 22 (17.4%) patients were presented with distant metastasis also with local recurrence. Conclusion: The appropriate planning regarding as diagnosis as treatment purpose for the soft tissue sarcoma without assuming the soft tissue mass as benign lesion. It helps to reduce the morbidity due to recurrence after inadequate surgical excision.

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN DIAGNOSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF TREATMENT RESPONSE IN SOFT TISSUE SARCOMA (REVIEW OF LITERATURE)

The review presents the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma in the pre-hospital period and during combined modality treatment was studied. Findings of using MRI in the assessment of local tumor extent and diffusion-weighted MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the estimation of the effectiveness of preoperative treatment were presented.