Prognostic Factors in Patients with Localized Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Koh, Sung Ae; Lee, Kyung Hee; Kim, Min Kyoung; Hyun, Myung Soo; Shin, Duk Seop; Yun, Sang Mo; Kang, Min Kyu

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
We evaluated the independent prognostic factors for overall and disease-free survival in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.
METHODS
Sixty-seven medical records were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients had presented with localized soft tissue sarcoma and had been treated with conservative surgery, followed by additional therapy or surgery. All were treated at the Yeungnam University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2006. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate factors affecting overall and disease-free survival.
RESULTS
The median age of the study sample was 50 (range, 15~70) years. Twenty patients (30%) had liposarcoma and nine (13%) had leiomyosarcoma. Seventeen patients (25%) had a tumor measuring greater than 10 cm. Nineteen patients (28%) had positive resection margins. The median overall survival was 62.7 months (95% CI: 25.7~99.4) and the median disease-free survival was 36.1 months (95% CI: 17.9~54.2). Factors that significantly affected the median overall survival were a tumor size greater than 10 cm and performance status. Positive resection margins and tumor site were independent prognostic factors associated with diseasefree survival. Other factors, such as histopathology, gender, age, and tumor grade, did not have prognostic value. Additionally, the chosen modality of treatment after surgery was not an independent predictor of the median overall or disease-free survival.
CONCLUSIONS
Tumor size, positive resection margins, tumor site, and performance status were statistically significant independent predictors of poor prognosis.