title: Effect of resection and outcome in patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A consecutive series of 47 patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) were resected and prospectively followed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July 1994 and March 2005, 47 patients (24 men, 23 women; mean age, 56 years; range, 17-82 years) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 23 patients had primary RPS and 24 patients had recurrent RPS. A total of 30 out of 47 patients (64%) underwent removal of contiguous intra-abdominal organs. The peroperative mortality was nil and significant preoperative complications occurred in eight cases only (17%). High tumour grade and incomplete resection were significant variables for a worse survival in all 47 patients, both in the univariate and multivariate analyses (P = 0.008 and P = 0.016, respectively). Among 28 radically resected patients, only histological grade affected overall survival (90% 5-year survival for low-grade tumour vs 26% 5-year survival for high-grade tumour; P = 0.006) with a similar effect noted for disease-free survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histological grade was the only factor that affected overall and disease-free survival for RPS tumours. An aggressive surgical approach in both primary and recurrent RPS is associated with long-term survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, University of Milan, Italy. antonio.chiappa@unimi.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiappa
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Zbar
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biffi
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertani
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biella
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viale
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pruneri
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orecchia
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poldi
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andreoni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome