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The National Cancer Data Base report on soft tissue sarcoma
Author(s) -
Pollock Raphael E.,
Karnell Lucy H.,
Menck Herman R.,
Winchester David P.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19961115)78:10<2247::aid-cncr29>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - medicine , soft tissue sarcoma , radiation therapy , sarcoma , soft tissue , stage (stratigraphy) , cancer , chemotherapy , surgery , multimodal therapy , disease , oncology , radiology , pathology , paleontology , biology
BACKGROUND Discernible improvements have taken place in soft tissue sarcoma patient survivorship and quality of life over the past 20 years, with overall 5‐year survival currently at approximately 50%. Shifts in treatment have taken place over the past decade, from single‐modality treatment involving radical surgery to sophisticated limb‐salvage strategies combined with radiation therapy and protocol‐administered chemotherapy. METHODS To identify patterns of treatment and outcome, all soft tissue sarcoma cases diagnosed in 1988 and 1993 as recorded in the National Cancer Data Base were analyzed on the basis of histology and anatomic site. RESULTS There was an increase in sarcomas originating in the pleura with a concurrent increase in mesotheliomas. A shift toward more advanced disease was also noted. Limb‐sparing surgical procedures are now standard. However, it appears from stage subset analysis that many Stage II and III patients are undertreated due to lack of multimodality therapy usage. CONCLUSIONS Use of pretreatment multimodality planning conferences will increase the likelihood that stage‐appropriate combinations of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy will be used. In turn, election of multimodality approaches should increase the possibility of improved overall and disease free survival in the future. Cancer 1996;78:2247‐57.