title: Histopathological outcome of 597 isolated soft tissue tumors suspected of soft tissue sarcoma: a single-center 12-year experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this present report was to analyze the patients referred to us with the presumptive diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma (STS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed all patients referred to us with suspected soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremities or trunk over a 12-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We treated 597 patients with soft tissue tumors. Open biopsy revealed soft tissue sarcoma in 318 cases, benign mesenchymal tumor in 124 cases and isolated metastases (ISTM) from carcinomas in 98 patients; other pathologies were found in 57 patients. The primary carcinomas were lung cancer in 26 patients, breast cancer in 19 patients, renal carcinoma in 16 patients, carcinoma of the esophagus in 12 patients, colonic carcinoma in 5 patients, thyroid gland cancer in 6 patients, and in 14 patients carcinoma of unknown primary was diagnosed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our collective with soft tissue tumor, 50% of the patients had the diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, 20% presented with a metastasis of carcinoma and 20% had a benign tumor. Referring to our results, in patients with the presumptive diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas, soft tissue metastasis of a primary carcinoma was unexpectedly common, indicating that greater consideration should be given to this differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Clinic II, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. steffen.leinung@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leinung
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Möbius
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Udelnow
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hauss
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Würl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*