[Complications and short-term outcomes of intraoperative electron radiotherapy (IOERT) in patients with periarticular soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the complications and short-term outcomes of patients receiving intraoperative electron radiotherapy (IOERT) for locally advanced and recurrent periarticular soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities.


METHODS
Twenty-one adult patients with locally advanced and/or recurrent periarticular soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities treated with IOERT were included in this study. Among them 14 patients had recurrent diseases after prior operation and 7 patients with locally advanced disease with primary treatment. The total dose of radiation ranged from 11 Gy to 21 Gy of 6 - 12 MeV beta ray given by intraoperative radiotherapy after complete tumor resection with negative margins. Five patients were given external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with a total dose of 40 - 50 Gy, and 10 patients received chemotherapy.


RESULTS
The median follow-up time was 15 months. Five patients (23.8%) had tumor relapse, including one patients with local recurrence, one patient with regional recurrence, two patients with distant metastasis and one patient with local recurrence and distant metastasis. The actuarial local control rate at 1 year was 95.2% (20/21), and at 2 years was 90.5% (19/21). Acute skin toxicity (RTOG) within 3 months after surgery included grade I in 6 patients and grade II in 3 patients. Two year late skin toxicity (RTOG/EORTC) included grade I in 4 patients and grade II in 2 patients. Fibrosis included grade I in 3 patients and grade II in 3 patients. Six patients had joint dysfunction (3 patients with grade I and 3 with grade II) and 6 patients had healing problems. One patient got ipsilateral schiatic neuritis 9 months after IOERT. No adverse events occurred during surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
IOERT brings tolerable complications of acute and late toxicities and favorable local control rate. IOERT should be followed by postoperative radiotherapy or increase the intraoperative radiation dose for locally advanced and recurrent sarcomas to get a better local control. Otherwise, distant metastasis is one of the main reasons of treatment failure, so chemotherapy should be added to the treatment regimen.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Cheng-cheng
CC
Fan
Qin-fu
QF
Feng
Yi-rui
YR
Zhai
Ming-hui
MH
Li
Li-bin
LB
Xu
Zhi-guo
ZG
Zhao
Xin-yuan
XY
Chen
Zhi-hui
ZH
Hu
Yong-qian
YQ
Zhang
Sheng-ji
SJ
Yu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D004583:Electrons / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult