Premium
Management of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with fibrosarcomatous transformation: an evidence‐based review of the literature
Author(s) -
Voth H.,
Landsberg J.,
Hinz T.,
Wenzel J.,
Bieber T.,
Reinhard G.,
Höller T.,
Wendtner C.M.,
SchmidWendtner M.H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2011.04141.x
Subject(s) - dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans , medicine , dermatofibrosarcoma , imatinib , pdgfb , wide local excision , surgery , resection margin , sarcoma , metastasis , radiology , cancer , dermatology , resection , pathology , platelet derived growth factor receptor , receptor , myeloid leukemia , growth factor
Fibrosarcomatous transformation represents a rare event in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) with unpredictable biological behaviour. No guidelines for the adequate treatment of patients with this rare neoplasm have been published. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of the literature comprising 157 patients with transformed DFSP focussing on surgical and adjuvant treatment modalities for this tumour. In the cohort examined, local recurrence occurred in 36% of cases and was significantly lower in patients treated by wide excision with margins ≥2 cm when compared with those treated with local excision without defined margins ( P = 0.01). Consistently, negative margin status was associated with a lower recurrence rate when compared with positive or unknown margin status ( P = 0.01). Distant metastases were detected in 13% of patients, which is significantly higher when compared with ordinary dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Systemic dissemination was preceded by local recurrence in 81% of cases, and is therefore strongly associated with tumour recurrence ( P ≤ 0.001). The present data confirm that wide excision with margins ≥2 cm represent the gold standard in the treatment of transformed dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and prevents recurrence as well as metastasis. When R0‐resection is not feasible, adjuvant radiation should be considered for cases with incomplete resection or unknown surgical margins. Irresectable or metastatic transformed DFSP harbouring the COL1A1‐PDGFB fusion gene should be treated with imatinib in the palliative setting or as an adjunctive treatment before surgery, although responses may be short‐lasting.