Surveillance in patients with sarcoma of the extremities.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficiency of our follow-up regime for patients with sarcoma of the extremities.


METHODS
We have reviewed our follow-up policy in 480 patients with non-metastatic bone or soft tissue sarcomas and with more than 5 years of follow-up.


RESULTS
We detected 24% of the soft tissue sarcoma recurrences and 38% of the bone tumour recurrences. We detected 67% of the pulmonary metastases before they became symptomatic. Only 11% of those patients who developed metastases were cured, as were only 26% of those who developed local recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that our surveillance programme detects most metastases, but only about one third of the local recurrences.
Cool
P
P
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Northfield, Birmingham B31 2AP, UK. paul.cool@rjah.nhs.uk
Grimer
R
R
Rees
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*