title: Long-term management of patients after potentially curative treatment of extremity soft tissue sarcoma: practice patterns of members of the Society of Surgical Oncology.
abstract: The optimal strategy for follow-up of extremity soft tissue sarcoma patients after primary treatment with curative intent is not known. The 1592 members of the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) were sent a survey to determine their practices. Office visits and chest X-rays were the most frequently performed items for all years. Complete blood count and liver function tests were the most commonly ordered blood tests, but many respondents did not order any blood tests routinely. Imaging studies of the extremities were recommended for most patients during the first postoperative year. Postoperative surveillance strategies after sarcoma treatment vary appreciably among surgeons. Surgeon age, tumor size, tumor grade, and geographic location of the surgeon account for only a modest amount of the variation, suggesting that lack of evidence supporting any particular strategy is the factor responsible for most of the variation. Efforts to provide high-quality evidence on this topic are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, 3635 Vista Ave. at Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. frank.johnson@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Frank E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kraybill
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Beitler
authors.forename: Suchira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Riccardo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Audisio
authors.forename: Katherine S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Virgo
mesh_terms: D005121:Extremities; D006801:Humans; D011364:Professional Practice; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013997:Time Factors