title: [Retroperitoneal sarcomas. Report of five new cases and review of the current situation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soft-tissue sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of rare tumors arising from the mesenchymal cells of the connective tissue. Approximately 15% of these tumors arise in the retroperitoneum. These neoplasms are locally aggressive and the only curative treatment is surgical resection "en-bloc". The main cause of mortality is locoregional recurrence. Five-year survival is 3-58%, depending on the histologic subtype and grade.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 5-year period (2001 to 2006), we performed surgery in five patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas. The mean age was 59 years (range, 46-76) with a male-to-female ratio of 3:2. The most frequent signs were abdominal pain and the appearance of a mass. In 2 patients, an incidental diagnosis was made during the surgical intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgical resection was performed in 5 patients but was incomplete in two patients. We removed 2 liposarcomas, 1 leiomyosarcoma, 1 chondrosarcoma and 1 fusocellular sarcoma arising in the kidney. Locoregional recurrence occurred in four patients, requiring between 1 and 2 new relaparotomies (using the retroperitoneal approach in 2 patients). There was one death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retroperitoneal sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors, in which the only common factor is the anatomical location. New randomized, prospective, multicenter trials are required to apply different therapeutic options according to the subtype of retroperitoneal sarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y del Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real, Puerto Real (Cádiz), España. marinlm@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Marín-Gómez
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vega-Ruiz
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: García-Ureña
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Navarro-Piñero
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calvo-Durán
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz-Godoy
authors.forename: María Coral
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de la Vega Olías
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*