title: The role of plastic surgery in sarcoma treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcomas are low-incidence tumours, but their poor prognosis and complex treatment require the work of a multidisciplinary medical team. The Plastic Surgery Service forms part of the Sarcoma Functional Unit in our centre, performing tumour exeresis as well as immediate reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a retrospective study on the experience of the Plastic Surgery Service of the Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge in the treatment of 133 sarcomas over 20 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The surgical treatment was based on local radical surgery supported by primary reconstructive surgery in 42.9% of the cases, with an amputation rate in limb sarcomas of 9.7%. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were used in the high-grade sarcomas as adjuvant treatment. The anatomical location of the head and neck was associated with the need for reconstructive procedures. Survival free from local recurrence was 84.72% at 5 years. Disease-specific survival was 81.22% at 5 years. The only prognostic factor for survival in our series was histological grade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary reconstructive surgery has a fundamental role in sarcoma treatment enabling radical surgical resection, avoiding amputations and facilitating adjuvant treatments.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirugía Plástica, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. jm.vinals@bellvitgehospital.cat
authors.forename: Juan María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Viñls Viñals
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pérez Sidelnikova
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Serra Payro
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Palacín Porte
authors.forename: Anna Belén
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: López Ojeda
authors.forename: Mari Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Higueras Suñe
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García del Muro
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lozano Borbalas
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Portabella Blavia
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sanjuán Garriga
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Narváez García
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005121:Extremities / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016019:Survival Analysis