The Role of Conservative Surgery and Radiation Therapy for the Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas

사지 악성 육종에서 보존적 수술후 방사선 치료의 역할

A total of 44 patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas had received conservative surgery and radiation therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine between Jan. 1980 and Dec. 1990. Initial surgical treatment consisted of intracapsular excision in 33 patients $(75\%),$ marginal excision in 9 patients, and wide excision in two patients. Total radiation doses were between 40Gy and 65Gy (median 60 Gy). Median follow-up period was 47 months. Overall actuarial 5-year survival rate was $76.9\%$ and 5-year recurrence free survival rate was $39.3\%.$ There was no statistically significant prognostic factors but the 5-year survival rates tended to be decreased in the patients with high grade tumors and treated with narrow surgical extent. Sixteen patients recurred during fellow-up (16/31, $51.6\%).$ The incidence of initial local recurrence was $22.6\%$ (7/31) and distant metastasis was $29\%(9/31).$ Of the 7 who did not have metastasis at diagnosis of local recurrence, 5 were submitted to a salvage treatment. All of them achieved local control and distant metastasis appeared in three of them. In conclusion, conservative surgery and radiation therapy in the patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas was the effective treatment modality.