Adherence to treatment guidelines for primary sarcomas affects patient survival: a side study of the European CONnective TIssue CAncer NETwork (CONTICANET).

BACKGROUND: The impact of adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for loco-regional treatment (i.e. surgery and radiotherapy) and chemotherapy on local disease control and survival in sarcoma patients was investigated in a European study conducted in an Italian region (Veneto). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The completeness of the adherence to the Italian CPGs for sarcomas treatment was assessed by comparing the patient's charts and the CPGs. Propensity score-adjusted multivariate survival analysis was used to assess the impact of CPGs adherence on patient clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 151 patients were included. Adherence to CPGs for loco-regional therapy and chemotherapy was observed in 106 out of 147 (70.2%) and 129 out of 139 (85.4%) patients, respectively. Non-adherence to CPGs for loco-regional treatment was independently associated with AJCC stage III disease [odds ratio (OR) 1.77, P = 0.011] and tumor-positive excision margin (OR 3.55, P = 0.003). Patients not treated according to the CPGs were at a higher risk of local recurrence [hazard ratio (HR) 5.4, P < 0.001] and had a shorter sarcoma-specific survival (HR 4.05, P < 0.001), independently of tumor stage. CONCLUSIONS: Incomplete adherence to CPGs for loco-regional treatment of sarcomas was associated with worse prognosis in patients with non-metastatic tumors.

Sarcoma: concordance between initial diagnosis and centralized expert review in a population-based study within three European regions.

BACKGROUND: Sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of tumors. Accurate determination of histological diagnosis and prognostic factors is critical for the delineation of treatment strategies. The contribution of second opinion (SO) to improve diagnostic accuracy has been suggested for sarcoma but has never been established in population-based studies. METHODS: Histological data of patients diagnosed with sarcoma in Rhone-Alpes (France), Veneto (Italy) and Aquitaine (France) over a 2-year period were collected. Initial diagnoses were systematically compared with SO from regional and national experts. RESULTS: Of 2016 selected patients, 1463 (73%) matched the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Full concordance between primary diagnosis and SO (the first pathologist and the expert reached identical conclusions) was observed in 824 (56%) cases, partial concordance (identical diagnosis of connective tumor but different grade or histological subtype) in 518 (35%) cases and complete discordance (benign versus malignant, different histological type or invalidation of the diagnosis of sarcoma) in 121 (8%) cases. The major discrepancies were related to histological grade (n = 274, 43%), histological type (n = 144, 24%), subtype (n = 18, 3%) and grade plus subtype or grade plus histological type (n = 178, 29%). CONCLUSION: More than 40% of first histological diagnoses were modified at second reading, possibly resulting in different treatment decisions.

A prospective epidemiological study of new incident GISTs during two consecutive years in Rhône Alpes region: incidence and molecular distribution of GIST in a European region.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary data indicate that the molecular epidemiology of localised gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) may be different from that of advanced GIST. We sought to investigate the molecular epidemiology of sarcomas, including GIST, in the Rhone-Alpes region in France. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective and exhaustive study in the Rhone-Alpes Region in France to assess the precise incidence of primary sarcomas with systematic centralised pathological review and molecular analysis was conducted for 2 consecutive years. RESULTS: Among 760 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of sarcoma, 131 (17%) had a GIST. The majority of patients had gastric primaries (61%). Mutational analysis could be performed in 106 tumour samples (74%), and 71 (67%) had exon 11 mutations. PDGFRA mutations were found in 16% of cases, which is twice as high as previously reported for advanced GIST. CONCLUSION: Data indicate that PDGFRA mutations in localised GIST may be twice as high as what was previously reported in patients with advanced disease. This finding may have important consequences for patients offered adjuvant imatinib, although most of these tumours are in the low-risk group.

[Incidence rate, epidemiology of sarcoma and molecular biology. Preliminary results from EMS study in the Rhône-Alpes region]. / Incidence, épidémiologie des sarcomes et biologie moléculaire. Résultats préliminaires de l'étude EMS en Rhône-Alpes.

Sarcomas comprise a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal neoplasms. They can be grouped into 3 general categories, soft tissue sarcoma, visceral and primary bone sarcoma, which have different staging and treatment approaches. Soft tissue sarcomas are typically classified on the basis of genetic alterations and light-microscopic examination of hematoxylin-eosin-stained tissue, in which recognizable morphological characteristics of normal tissues are identified. Sarcomas are further characterized by histologic grade. The 3 most important prognostic variables are grade, size, and location of the primary tumor. This review includes a discussion of both soft tissue sarcomas (unclassified sarcoma, liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, angiosarcoma, Kaposi sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, ...) and primary bone sarcomas (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and chondrosarcoma). The approach to a patient with a sarcoma begins with a biopsy that obtains adequate tissue for diagnosis without interfering with subsequent optimal definitive surgery. Subsequent treatment depends on the specific type of sarcoma. Due to the absence of clear knowledge for incidence rate, we conducted in 2005 and 2006 an exhaustive analysis of all diagnosed cases in the Rhône-Alpes region. Because sarcomas are relatively uncommon yet comprise a wide variety of different entities, second opinion was systematically performed for all included cases.

Sarcomas and malignant phyllodes tumours of the breast--a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Although most breast cancers are adenocarcinomas of the mammary gland, primary breast sarcomas may also arise from mammary gland mesenchymal tissue. The annual incidence of primary breast sarcoma is low and has been estimated at 45 new cases per 10 million women. These tumours are at high risk of recurrence and are known to have poor prognosis. Phyllodes tumours represent a specific subset of these breast soft tissue tumours. They are composed of a connective tissue stroma and epithelial elements. Pathological presentation ranges from grade I to malignant phyllodes tumours (grade III) where the stromal component clearly exhibits a sarcoma pattern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SAPHYR (SArcoma and PHYllode Retrospective) is a retrospective study of the experience of Leon Bérard Cancer Centre (Lyon, France) from 1966 to August 2004. SAPHYR aims to describe the characteristics of primary breast sarcomas and to define potential survival factors to be evaluated in future prospective studies. RESULTS: We included 70 patients. Half of them presented at least one recurrence (35/70). Median disease-free-survival (DFS) was 1.15 years. At 3 years, median overall survival had not been reached and more than 61% of the patients were alive. Quality of surgical resection was significantly (p=0.036) different whether patients were in the R0 group (72%) or not (38%). No survival difference was found between malignant phyllodes (grade III) and other primary breast sarcomas (angiosarcomas excluded). Histology revealed three significantly (p=0.0003) different prognostic groups: phyllodes grade I and II (DFS=57%), angiosarcomas (DFS=7%) and phyllodes grade III and other primary breast sarcomas (DFS=45%). DISCUSSION: Phyllodes tumours and primary breast sarcomas are totally different from epithelial breast cancers and should be considered as a distinct group of rare tumours. The first goal of treatment is to achieve negative margins (R0). We propose to treat the patients according to the clinical practice guidelines in use for soft tissue sarcomas and address them to a reference centre for sarcoma. Treating rare tumours in the same place should permit us to standardise pathological data and to include patients into multicentric radiotherapy or chemotherapy protocols to improve overall survival. As further prospective studies are needed, European oncology groups must join their forces to create a prospective Rare Cancer Network.