RESUMO
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>It is important to analyze and compare soft tissue sarcomas periodically so as to update the incidence, the clinical diagnosis, the treatment, and the ongoing research. The present study was conducted to determine the relative frequency of each type of soft tissue sarcoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 1118 cases of primary soft tissue sarcomas treated between January 1993 and December 2006 were evaluated in a retrospective analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>According to the pathologic grouping, the diseases with the highest proportion were malignant fibrous histiocytomas (35.24%), synovial sarcomas (17.08%), liposarcomas (16.28%), and rhabdomyosarcomas (12.61%). Soft tissue sarcomas were detected in every age group and occurred in all parts of the body. The number of cases increased gradually over the years.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Malignant fibrous histiocytomas had the highest frequency among the soft tissue sarcomas. The number of cases increased gradually over the years.</p>