Synopses of Editorial Board

Radiation therapy, because it effectively treats microscopic residual disease, has allowed multi-modality approaches that expand the criteria for organ preservation. My research efforts in soft tissue sarcoma have focused on improving rates of local control and limiting normal tissue toxicities by optimizing radiotherapeutic approaches with brachytherapy and intraoperative irradiation. Brachytherapy has been used for de® nitive therapy of sarcomas that are newly diagnosed or that have recurred within a previously irradiated area. Despite concerns about wound healing and radiation effects on small vessels, we have shown that the viability of myocutaneous ̄ ap reconstruction is not compromised by brachytherapy. Providing comparable rates of local control, brachytherapy also proved to be an efficient, cost-effective alternative to conventional external beam radiation. Function preservation is an integral issue in quality of life, especially among patients with recurrent sarcoma in which limb-sparing surgical interventions are often facilitated by brachytherapy. Intraoperative irradiation and other techniques to exclude the small bowel from the external beam radiation portal have been applied to reduce risk of local recurrence in retroperitoneal sarcomas. Supportive care, that involves control of disease and treatmentrelated symptoms, has also been a research priority.