title: Clinical characteristics and overall survival in genitourinary sarcomas treated with curative intent: a multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adult soft tissue sarcomas in general, and those arising from the urological organs in particular, are a group of rare tumours with a generally poor prognosis, only a few studies are available. We report our experience with this type of tumours in a multicenter study carried out in a single region of Central Italy (Tuscany).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-treatment and follow-up data were obtained from 22 adult patients, all residing in Tuscany, treated consecutively between 1984 and 2002 for primary or locally recurrent genito-urinary sarcomas in 8 urology departments in the area. All cases were classified according to the French Federation of Cancer Center System Grading Scheme for Adult Sarcomas (FFCC) and Broders System. The crude survival probability was estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and differences between patient sub-groups were assessed by the log rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study series included 18 males and 4 females. The mean age at diagnosis was 61+/-21.5 years (range: 15.3-89.1). The most common site was paratesticular (n=9, 40.9%), followed by kidney (n=8, 36.4%), prostate (n=3, 13.6%) and penis and bladder (1 case each, 4.6%). 15 cases (68.2%) were classified as FFCC III, and 16 (72.7%) as Broders IV. The most common histological type was leiomyosarcoma (8 cases, 36.7%), followed by liposarcoma (6, 27.3%), rhabdomyosarcoma (3, 13.6%) and other histological types (5, 22.7%). At the last follow-up (mean: 3.66+/-3.25 years; range 0.15-10.0), 11 of the 22 patients (50%) were still alive. The overall survival rate at 1, 3 and 5 years was 85.9%, 62.0% and 48.8%, respectively. There were no significant differences in survival according to sex, age or histological type. When we compared paratesticular vs. kidney and prostate cancer cases, a significant difference in survival emerged (p=0.02). According to size and grade of the tumour we also found a significant difference in survival (p=0.0006 and p=0.01, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our representative series, 3 tumor parameters (site, size and grade) appeared to represent the most important prognostic factors in adult genitourinary sarcomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Florence, viale Pieraccini 18, 50100 Florence, Italy. nicola.mondaini@unifi.it
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mondaini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saieva
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nesi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franchi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ponchietti
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authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tripodi
authors.forename: C
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authors.lastname: Miracco
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meliani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Livi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zanna
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trovarelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vignolini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pomara
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giubilei
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D014565:Urogenital Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy