ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary metastasectomy in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) can lead to long-term survival. The aim of our study was to report on prognostic factors and the value of repeat resection in recurrent disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight pulmonary metastasectomies were performed on 42 STS patients from 1990 to 2005. Overall survival time and 3-year survival rate were evaluated. Subgroup analysis was performed on age, primary tumor stage, histological type and grade, occurrence and recurrence pattern, systemic treatment and number of resections. RESULTS: The 3-year actuarial survival rate was 31%. Primary tumor grade and repeat resections were shown to be independent prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSION: Patients with repeat resections due to recurrent metastasis show a significantly better prognosis than those with only one resection. Thus, lacking randomised controlled data of the natural course of patients with unresected lung metastases to compare these results, metastasectomy in STS patients is also recommended in recurrent disease.
Subject(s)
Lung Neoplasms/secondary , Lung Neoplasms/surgery , Sarcoma/secondary , Sarcoma/surgery , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Humans , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Staging , Reoperation , Survival Rate , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A 45 year old male patient was referred to hospital after syncope during defaecation. Rapid peranal blood loss occurred shortly after admission. Gastroscopy and coloscopy performed as first line diagnostic measures failed to detect the source of haemorrhage. Ultrasound (US) revealed a hypoechoic and hypervascularized tumor mass in the right lower abdomen. A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the jejunum was diagnosed after laparatomy. Collectively US should be among the first line diagnostic procedures in younger patients presenting with lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage.
