Wide Resection of Extremity/Truncal Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Abstract

The potentially curative treatment of sarcoma is negative margin wide resection, the clinical tumor with an en bloc margin of surrounding tissue potentially contains microscopic tumor. Planned margins should be 1 to 2 cm but can be less for oncologically equivalent barrier tissues or to preserve an adjacent critical structure. Tumor spillage should be avoided. The role of radiation and/or chemotherapy should be discussed before surgery, as there are potential benefits to preoperative administration. An isolated local recurrence is potentially curable. Amputation is rarely necessary and should only be pursued after other limb salvage treatment options have been considered.

Keywords: Amputation; Local recurrence; Margins; Sarcoma; Wide resection.