title: Extremity soft tissue sarcoma: factors predictive of local recurrence and survival.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To identify risk factors for local recurrence and overall survival in patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed of all patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma treated at the Combined Surgical Oncology Clinic in the Institute of Oncology at Prince of Wales Hospital between 1972 and 1992. Variables analysed included clinical presentation, patient characteristics, tumour characteristics, treatment factors and outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and nineteen patients were eligible for the study. The most common type of presentation was with a painless mass, usually in the thigh. Local control rates at 5 and 10 years were 75% and 73%. Local control was higher in patients who had more radical surgery and in those who received adjuvant radiotherapy. Tumour size and high grade were independent risk factors for poorer survival. Patients over 50 had poorer survival than younger patients and those who presented with recurrent tumours also tended to have poor survival compared to patients presenting de novo. The respective 5- and 10-year survival rates were 65% and 62%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that local control of extremity soft tissue sarcoma is improved by radical surgery and by the addition of radiotherapy when more conservative procedures are used. Overall survival appeared to be largely determined by patient (age, recurrent presentation) and tumour characteristics (grade, size).
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hook
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Donnellan
mesh_terms: D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome