title: Retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma: effect of hyperthermic total abdominal perfusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the retroperitoneum are rare tumors. Surgery remains the principal modality of therapy in the management of primary and recurrent retroperitoneal STS. However, little is known about the effect of regional chemotherapy using hyperthermic total abdominal perfusion (HTAP). We analyzed independent prognostic variables in 33 patients with STS in the retroperitoneum admitted from November 1990 through December 1996.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data regarding patients' age, gender, tumor size, histological tumor type, tumor location, type of operation (primary or secondary surgery), extent of surgical management (marginal or extended), use of HTAP, tumor grade, and tumor stage according to the TNM classification were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 33 patients underwent complete resections (marginal or extended). Eleven of them received locoregional chemotherapy by HTAP. The overall cumulative 5-year survival rates in patients with stage IIA and advanced disease were 82% and 22%, respectively (log-rank test, P<0.01). Using Cox's proportional hazard model, tumor stage, use of HTAP and type of operation were found to have significant influence on overall survival (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that complete resection along with HTAP chemotherapy may improve survival in patients with retroperitoneal STS. These phase II data could be used to support the initiation of a phase III trial to test HTAP in patients submitted to complete resection of retroperitoneal STS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Ankara University Medical School, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eroglu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kocaoglu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirci
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akgül
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010478:Chemotherapy, Cancer, Regional Perfusion / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome