Soft tissue sarcomas of the proximal adductor area of the thigh: Indications, results and complications at medium follow-up in a series of 43 surgically treated patients.

Introduction: When Soft Tissue Sarcomas are localized in the groin area, they pose specific challenges due to their proximity to important structures. These tumors exhibit elevated complication rates and a higher local recurrence rate compared to their locations in other limbs. The objective of this paper is to analyze a series of patients affected by soft tissue sarcomas in the adductor area of the proximal thigh. The analysis aims to elucidate the epidemiology, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, complications, and outcomes. Additionally, the study seeks potential prognostic factors and to determine patients at a heightened risk of postoperative complications. Patients and methods: all patients who underwent surgeries for primary soft tissue sarcomas of the adductor area between October 2006 and March 2022 in a tertiary research hospital were valued. Epidemiology, tumor characteristics and therapeutic approaches were analyzed to identify risk factors for complications and local recurrences; survival was considered a secondary outcome. Results: The series comprised 43 patients, 26 males and 17 females, with an average age of 63.3 years. The most frequent histology was liposarcoma, followed by undifferentiated forms. All patients reported the presence of masses, with associated pain in 27.9% of cases. Limb-sparing surgery was performed in 86.0% of cases. Early and late complications were experienced by 34.9% and 20.0% of patients, respectively, with wound dehiscence being the most frequent problem. The recurrence rate was 9.3%, with no recurrences observed in low-grade patients. At an average follow-up of 51 months, 18 patients (41.9%) were alive, two of which with distant metastases. Conclusion: The present series provides evidence that when Soft Tissue Sarcomas localized in the groin area are managed in specialized centers, the rates of recurrence and complications are not significantly different from those observed in other anatomical sites.

Surgical Outcome in Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Surgery: Accuracy of P-POSSUM, ACS-NSQIP, and Inflammatory Biomarkers Prognostic Index (IBPI) Risk-Calculators for Prediction of Severe and Overall Morbidity.

INTRODUCTION: Retroperitoneal sarcoma often requires comprehensive resection, leading to severe postoperative morbidity. The lack of disease-procedure specific tools for morbidity risk and the questionable accuracy of existing tools (ACS-NSQIP and P-POSSUM) in RPS surgery drove this study to assess these calculators' accuracy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of primary RPS cases undergoing surgery at two sarcoma-referral centers was conducted. Predicted morbidity/mortality rates at 90 days postsurgery, classified by Clavien-Dindo (CD) and Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI), were compared with observed data. Accuracy was assessed by Brier Score and area under the curve (AUC). Inflammatory Biomarkers Prognostic Index (IBPI) also was tested. RESULTS: A total of 567 patients (median age 62 years; 53.6% male) with a median of four resected organs were included. 59% experienced surgical complications by 90 days postoperation, graded CD ≥ 3 in 30.5%, median CCI 20.9, with a mortality rate of 1.6% (8/567). Reoperation was required in 68 of 567 patients (12%). Thirty-day mortality was 1.1%. Severe complications occurred after 30th postoperative day in 3.5% cases. ACS-NSQIP predicted below-average complication for 65.1%, average for 16.9%, and above-average for 18% of patients. P-POSSUM predicted a 66% rate of morbidity and 4% mortality. None of the prediction tools were accurate, with Brier scores ranging 0.155-0.231 and no AUC ≥ 0.7. IBPI accuracy for predicting severe infective complication was low (AUC 0.58, Brier 0.161). CONCLUSIONS: The significant morbidity burden after MVR necessitates reliable evaluation, especially in frail patients. Given the limitations of ACS-NSQIP and P-POSSUM, a dedicated prediction tool for perioperative events in RPS candidates for MVR needs urgent development.

Recurrent neck myxofibrosarcoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is a rare soft tissue sarcoma with a high recurrence rate and a low risk of distant metastasis. It occurs mainly in the extremities of elderly men. Head and neck MFS is extremely rare. Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment. The role of radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CHT) on MFS is still debated. CASE PRESENTATION: A 67-year-old Caucasian man presented to our sarcoma referral center (SRC) with a history of MFS of the neck excised with microscopic positive surgical margins in a non-referral center. Staging imaging exams did not reveal distant metastasis. After a multidisciplinary discussion, preoperative RT was administered with a total dose of 50 Gy followed by wide surgical excision. Histological examination was negative for viable tumor cells. No relapse occurred during the 24-month postoperative follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The case described suggests the importance of planned combined treatments with both RT and surgery for high-grade soft tissue sarcoma. RT seems to be promising within this specific histotype. Close follow-up is advisable in all cases. Further studies are needed to confirm if the observed efficacy of combined treatments results in a prolonged time of disease-free survival and overall survival.

What About Gastric Schwannoma? A Review Article.

PURPOSE: Gastric schwannomas (GSs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. Diagnosis is often achieved postoperatively, based on pathology reports of retrieved specimens. The aim of the present study is to follow up all patients with gastric schwannoma (Gs) undergoing endoscopic, partial, or more extended surgery and to evaluate the appearance of local or distant recurrence. METHODS: A PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase systematic review of the literature has been performed. Original papers, review articles, and case reports published between 1988 and 2019 were considered eligible. All the studies who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Statistical analysis of data has been performed using GraphPad Prism 7 software. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-eight articles were found, and a total of 102 were included and analyzed in depth. Fifty-three papers reported the follow-up information, ranging from 1 to 417 months across different studies. Among them, 31 patients underwent endoscopic removal of the gastric lesions; 140 patients underwent local surgery, including wedge resection or partial gastrectomy; and 148 patients underwent subtotal or total gastrectomy. The median follow-up was of 27-38-33 months, respectively. No recurrence or distant metastasis was detected in the endoscopy group. Among local surgery group, liver metastasis was reported in one case; in extended surgery group, one patient died for multiple liver metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Local or more extended surgery involved a larger cohort of patients and reported satisfactory long-term results compared with endoscopy group. Surgery in absence of a definite preoperative diagnosis is considered the gold standard treatment for resectable Gs.

Locally recurrent extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma of the shoulder: a case of complete neoadjuvant radiotherapy response.

BACKGROUND: Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a rare soft tissue tumor that typically affects the lower limbs of men between the ages of 50 and 60. EMC of the shoulder is rare with a high risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis. A planned surgical excision in sarcoma referral centers (SRCs) is mandatory to obtain the best outcome. The role of chemotherapy (CHT) and Radiotherapy (RT) on soft tissue chondrosarcoma is still controversial. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old man presented to our referral center with a history of EMC in the right shoulder excised with microscopic positive surgical margins in a non-referral center. Staging imaging exams did not reveal distant metastasis or residual disease, but during follow-up a local recurrence was detected. After a multidisciplinary discussion, preoperative radiotherapy was administered with a total dose of 50 Gy, and then the patient underwent wide surgical excision. Histological examination was negative for viable tumor cells. No relapse occurred in a 24-months post-operative follow up. CONCLUSIONS: The case here described suggests the importance of patient's management in SRCs. A planned combined treatments with both surgery and RT seems to be the best choice to improve local control. RT seems to be promising within this specific histotype. Further studies are needed to confirm if the observed efficacy of combined treatments reflects in a consistent survival benefit for EMC patients.