Premium
Distant skin and soft tissue metastases from sarcomas
Author(s) -
Rao Uma N. M.,
Hanan Scott H.,
Lotze Michael T.,
Karakousis Constantine P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9098(199810)69:2<94::aid-jso9>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - medicine , soft tissue , leiomyosarcoma , epithelioid sarcoma , biopsy , sarcoma , metastasis , malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor , subcutaneous tissue , soft tissue sarcoma , pathological , lung , wide local excision , radiation therapy , radiology , pathology , cancer , neurofibromatosis
Background and Objectives This small series documents the clinical and pathological features and the rarity of distant skin and soft tissue metastases from sarcomas. Materials and Methods Five cases of sarcomas from different anatomical locations that had metastasized to skin and subcutaneous soft tissue were identified in three women and two men. The age range was 41–77 years. The primary tumors had wide excisions, followed by either radiation or chemotherapy, or both. The histological types were epithelioid sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and leiomyosarcoma. Metastases occurred to the skin and soft tissue of the chest wall, leg, breast, and abdominal wall. The diagnosis was established by excision biopsies for three cases and by needle biopsy and fine‐needle aspiration for two cases. Results Three patients died within 7 months of the diagnosis of soft tissue metastases that were always histologically high grade and never solitary. One patient is alive with lung metastasis discovered 17 months after excision of primary. Lung metastases occurred either simultaneously or within a short period after soft tissue metastases. Conclusion Distant skin and soft tissue metastases from sarcomas are very rare and often occur as a terminal event. J. Surg. Oncol. 1998;69:94–98. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.