title: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: treatment results of 35 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates the treatment results of patients with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between August 1987 and July 1998, 35 consecutive patients with pathologically proved dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans received surgery with or without radiation therapy. Their treatment results were analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient ages ranged from 5 to 67 years (median 37 years). There were 24 males and 11 females. The anatomic sites of tumor were: trunk in 21, extremity in eight, and head and neck region in six. The maximal dimension of tumor ranged from 1.5 to 25 cm. Surgery techniques included local excision and wide excision with or without graft or flap. Adjuvant radiation therapy was given to 11 patients, with a dose ranging from 46 to 68 Gy (one pre-operative, ten post-operative). At a median follow-up of 50 months (range 11-131 months), there were 11 patients (nine patients without radiation therapy) who developed local failure. Salvage therapy (excision with or without radiation therapy) was given to all of them, and ten achieved disease control. Some patients had treatment-related moderate cosmetic or functional problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a malignancy of a high cure rate, and adjuvant radiation therapy can reliably decrease the local recurrence rate and prevent mutilation and functional deficit caused by repeated surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 123, Ta-Pei Rd., Niao Sung Hsiang, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018223:Dermatofibrosarcoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome