Surgical margins for soft-tissue sarcoma.

Historically, an adequate surgical procedure has been the most effective means of treating the majority of primary musculoskeletal sarcomas, and amputation has figured prominently in the surgical armamentarium. 4, 7, 9, 19, 21, 29, 41 The recent evidence that certain chemotherapeutic agents may have significant anti-sarcoma activity 2, 15, 17, 38 and coincident technical advances in irradiation therapy, radiographic localization, and reconstructive surgery have fostered enthusiastic interest in extremity-saving treatments. Almost all such treatments emphasize limb salvage as an alternative to amputation and are usually performed under a protective cloak of adjunctive chemotherapy, irradiation or immunoactive agents. 20, 23, 24, 30, 37, 39 Since neither chemotherapy nor irradiation therapy alone has been shown to assure long-term local control of bulk disease, surgical intervention remains an essential step in the overall management of musculoskeletal sarcomas. 3, 9, 17, 18, 29 Questions concerning the magnitude and timing of the surgical procedure are as unanswered as those relating to the most appropriate use of the adjuncts themselves. Increasingly, the surgeon and his patient are confronted with a bewildering array of therapeutic options, the long-term outcomes of which are unknown. These relatively rare sarcomas increasingly are distributed among a variety of treatment protocols in which multiple parameters differ. This trend necessitates interinstitutional cooperation if sufficient numbers of patients are to be available for the timely evaluation of treatments in clinical use. Such cooperation and even effective interinstitutional communication are seriously hampered by the lack of uniform language, so that meaningful comparison of treatments is currently impossible. Prime factors include the lack of a consistent definition of the surgery performed and a serviceable surgical staging system encompassing bone and soft tissue. Standard terminology will assure that like and unlike treatments are appropriately compared. Although an effective staging system should serve all members of the multidisciplinary team, the biologic behavior of musculoskeletal sarcomas suggests that the most useful staging system will articulate with the surgical procedure.

Background and objective: Local advanced rectal cancer (LARC) poses significant treatment challenges due to its location and high recurrence rates. Accurate early detection is vital for treatment planning. With magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) being resource-intensive, this study explores using artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret computed tomography (CT) scans as an alternative, providing a quicker, more accessible diagnostic tool for LARC. Methods: In this retrospective study, CT images of 1070 T3–4 rectal cancer patients from 2010 to 2022 were analyzed. AI models, trained on 739 cases, were validated using two test sets of 134 and 197 cases. By utilizing techniques such as nonlocal mean filtering, dynamic histogram equalization, and the EfficientNetB0 algorithm, we identified images featuring characteristics of a positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) for the diagnosis of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Importantly, this study employs an innovative approach by using both hard and soft voting systems in the second stage to ascertain the LARC status of cases, thus emphasizing the novelty of the soft voting system for improved case identification accuracy. The local recurrence rates and overall survival of the cases predicted by our model were assessed to underscore its clinical value. Results: The AI model exhibited high accuracy in identifying CRM-positive images, achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 in the first test set and 0.86 in the second. In a patient-based analysis, the model reached AUCs of 0.84 and 0.79 using a hard voting system. Employing a soft voting system, the model attained AUCs of 0.93 and 0.88, respectively. Notably, AI-identified LARC cases exhibited a significantly higher five-year local recurrence rate and displayed a trend towards increased mortality across various thresholds. Furthermore, the model’s capability to predict adverse clinical outcomes was superior to those of traditional assessments. Conclusion: AI can precisely identify CRM-positive LARC cases from CT images, signaling an increased local recurrence and mortality rate. Our study presents a swifter and more reliable method for detecting LARC compared to traditional CT or MRI techniques.

Soft tissue sarcoma of high grade — a primary systemic disease?

BackgroundTraditionally, wide lateral surgical margins of 3 cm and one fascial plane deep have been recommended for resection of canine cutaneous mast cell tumor (MCT). Several studies have been published assessing surgical margins of less than this traditional recommendation. The objective of this systematic review was to determine if resection MCT with lateral surgical margins < 3 cm results in low rates of incomplete resection and local tumor recurrence. Systematic searches of digital bibliographic databases were performed with two authors (AR & LES) screening abstracts to identify relevant scientific articles. Studies regarding surgical treatment of dogs with cutaneous MCT were reviewed. Data abstraction was performed and the quality of individual studies and the strength of the body of evidence for utilization of surgical margins < 3 cm for removal of MCTs was assessed.ResultsFrom the initial 78 citations identified through the database searches, four articles were retained for data abstraction after both relevance screenings were performed. Two studies were retrospective observational studies, one was a prospective case series and one was a prospective clinical trial. Assessment of the quality level of the body of evidence identified using the GRADE system was low. Excision of MCT at 2 cm and 3 cm was associated with comparably low rates of incomplete excision and recurrence.ConclusionsDespite the low quality of the overall body of evidence, a recommendation can be made that resection of canine cutaneous MCTs (< 4 cm) of Patnaik grade I and II with 2 cm lateral margins and 1 fascial plane deep results in low rates of incomplete excision and local tumor recurrence.

Background: Recent clinical trials comparing local recurrence rates in young breast cancer (BC) patients after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) versus mastectomy are limited. The local recurrence (LR) rate in young BC patients is notably higher than in other age groups, whether the recurrence rates after the two surgical options are comparable remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety of BCT and mastectomy for young age BC patients by comparing LR rates between the two procedures. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of four electronic databases (Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) for relevant studies comparing LR rates in BC patients aged 40 years or younger who were treated with BCT or mastectomy. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were synthesized using a random-effects model, with a primary focus on LR rates. Sensitivity analyses and meta-regression were performed to evaluate bias and heterogeneity, ensuring a thorough assessment of the available evidence. Results: Among the 2,936 studies screened, 10 studies encompassing 9,215 patients were included, with 5,236 undergoing BCT and 5,803 undergoing mastectomy. The summary odds ratio (OR) indicated a significantly greater risk of LR for BCT compared to mastectomy among young BC patients (OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.12–1.96). In subgroup analysis, the BCT group exhibited a higher 5-year LR rate (OR = 1.67; 95% CI: 1.13–2.46) compared to the mastectomy group. This trend persisted across tumor stages, with the BCT group showing an increased LR risk in both the T1–2 (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.44–2.36) and T1–4 (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.50–2.03) stages. Nodal status analysis indicated a higher LR risk for BCT in the N0–1 (OR = 2.549, 95% CI: 1.79–3.46) stages. Among very young women (aged ≤35), the difference in LR rates between BCT and mastectomy was even more pronounced (OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.47–2.82). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis found that young BC patients undergoing BCT had a significantly higher risk of LR, with a 48% increased risk compared to those who underwent mastectomy (OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.12–1.96). This difference was even more pronounced in patients aged 35 years or younger. While the elevated LR risk with BCT in young patients is well documented, individualized treatment planning should weigh this against potential survival advantages and quality-of-life preservation.

Introduction: Historically, young breast cancer patients proved to have a poorer prognosis regarding survival and locoregional recurrence. Over the last two decades, the survival of breast cancer patients has improved substantially, while at the same time locoregional recurrence rates decreased. The diminishing recurrence rates in the overall breast cancer population and acknowledgement of tumor biology and intrinsic subtypes in relation to age, raise the question whether the historically high locoregional recurrence risk in young women has decreased over a time where systemic treatment has evolved, particularly for the aggressive tumor types that occur frequently in young women. The aim of this study was to evaluate contemporary local and regional recurrence rates in very young breast cancer patients in relation to tumor biology in the shape of intrinsic subtypes. Methods: Women &amp;lt;35 years of age who were operated for primary unilateral invasive breast cancer between 2003-2008 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients were categorized according to intrinsic subtypes using hormone receptor and HER2 status. The 5-year risks of developing local recurrence (LR) and regional lymph node recurrence (RR) were estimated using Kaplan Meier statistics. The prognostic influence of different clinicopathological and treatment factors was assessed. Results: A total of 1,000 patients were identified. The overall 5-year LR and RR rates were 3.5% and 3.7% respectively and a decreasing trend for both rates was observed over time. Overall 5-year local, regional and distant recurrence rates over time in breast cancer patients &amp;lt;35 years (n=1,000) Local recurrence*Regional recurrenceDistant metastases NRateNRateNRate2003n=21384.2%116.1%3617.8%2004n=212105.6%105.1%3819.2%2005n=18232.0%53.1%2514.6%2006n=17053.2%21.2%138.2%2007•n=11722.1%10.9%98.1%2008•n=10633.2%44.4%1010.0%Totaln=1,000313.5%333.7%13113.9%*Local recurrence (ipsilateral in-breast recurrence + new primary) •Fewer patients were included in the years 2007-2008 compared to earlier years due to the fact that some hospitals did not provide data for those years. Rates represent Kaplan Meier estimates Intrinsic subtype proved to be a prognostic factor for both LR and RR (P=0.0556 and P=0.0141, respectively). Particularly HR-/HER2+ tumors were associated with high LR and RR rates. Patients with lymph node metastases at time of diagnosis had a higher RR-risk in both the total population (P=0.0349) as well as within the different intrinsic subtypes, although only significantly in the triple negative group (P=0.0401). Type of surgery did not influence the rate of LR and RR in this study. Conclusions: Overall, the LR and RR rates in very young breast cancer patients were relatively low and decreased over time. The higher recurrence rates in this population were associated with the presence of more aggressive intrinsic subtypes. We emphasize that tumor biology should guide decision-making towards optimal treatment in this specific population. Although longer follow-up is needed, especially for this very young patient population, the results of this study provide important insight in the locoregional recurrence risks for this historically high-risk population. Citation Format: Aalders KC, Postma EL, Strobbe LJ, van der Heiden-van der Loo M, Sonke GS, Boersma LJ, van Diest PJ, Siesling S, van Dalen T. Contemporary local and regional recurrence rates in very young breast cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-01.

Background Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is one of the more common types of soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) in patients over 60 years of age. Local recurrence (LR) rates have been reported to be higher compared to other STS types. Patients and Methods Using a population-based series from the southern Sweden health care region, 56 consecutive patients with MFS and localized disease at diagnosis were analyzed with respect to LR and distant metastases after surgery ± adjuvant treatment. Results The overall local recurrence (n = 15) and metastasis (n = 13) rates were 27% and 21%, respectively; 6 patients had both. Surgical margin was the only statistically significant prognostic factor for LR. Patients operated with a marginal margin had an HR of 4.5 (CI 1.3–15.1, p=0.02) and those operated with an intralesional margin 9.4 (CI 2.0–43.5, p=0.004) compared to those operated with a wide surgical margin. There was no difference in the LR rate depending on radiotherapy or not, although the latter group had smaller and more superficial tumors. 23 patients received radiotherapy, 9 of whom developed LR, all within the irradiated field. A tumor size >5 cm and intralesional surgical margin were shown to be risk factors for distant metastases. Conclusions The rate of LR for patients with myxofibrosarcoma was high. The impact of RT on local tumor control was unclear. The surgical margin was important for both local and distant tumor control. Large tumor size was a risk factor for distant metastasis.

Post-Anticoagulation Cessation D-Dimer Testing and VTE Recurrence in Real-World Australian Audit

Objective To study the relationship between circumferential resection margin status and prognosis of patients with middle and lower rectal cancer.Methods Specimens from 49 patients with middle and lower rectal cancer undergoing total mesorectal excision were studied by the large slice pathologic technique.The local recurrence,metastasis and five-year survival rate were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier Survival analysis.The related clinicopathologic factors were also analyzed.Results The cancer involvement rate of the circumferential resection margins was 24%(12/49).The overall local recurrence rate was 12%(6/49),the distant metastasis and recurrence rate was 27%(13/49),and the five-year survival rate was 67%(33/49).For the 12 patients in which the eircumferential resection margin was tumor positive.the local recurrence rate was 33%compared with 5%in those with negative circumferential resection margin(X2=6.577,P=0.010),distant recurrence was 50%compared with 19%in those with tumor negative margin(X2=4.491,P=0.034).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patient's survival time was statistically correlative with the circumferential resection margin status(log-rank.P=0.009).Five-year survival rate was 33%in patients with positive circumferential resection margin,compared with 78%in those with negative margins.Tumor diameter(X2=4.451,P=0.035),T staging (X2=20.283,P=0.000),N staging(X2=7.773,P=0.018),the distance away from the anocutaneous line(X2=6.502,P=0.04),tumor location(X2=4.421,P=0.035)and operation type(X2=5.754,P=0.016)were significantly correlated with the circumferential resection margin status of the middle and lower rectal cancer.Conclusions The circumferential resection margin status was an important predictor of local and distant recurrence as well as survival of patients with middle and lower rectal carcinoma.and the status is significantly correlated with tumor diameter,T staging,N staging,the distance away from the anocutaneous line,tumor location and operation type. Key words: Rectal neoplasms; Proctocolectomy,restorative; Prognosis

Background and Objectives: The primary objective of surgeons treating bone and soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is to achieve optimal local tumor control, ensuring a tumor-free margin and preventing local recurrence. However, the impact of surgical resection margin status on extremity STSs remains an area that requires further exploration. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of surgical resection margin status on both local recurrence and overall survival rates. Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty-five patients who underwent surgical resection with a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma were studied. The study recorded patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical margin distance (in millimeters), and disease-related outcomes. Results: The minimum follow-up period was 24 months (24-168). The mean time to local recurrence after resection was 103.2 months (95% CI 91.73 to 114.64). The mean local recurrence-free survival was found to be 7.23 months in patients with positive surgical margins, 87.42 months in patients with ≤1 mm, and 139.80 months in patients with >1 mm (p < 0.001). Patients with surgical margins ≤1 mm were more likely to have local recurrence than patients with >1 mm (0.41 [0.21-0.81], p = 0.010). The mean overall survival was 106.72 months (95% CI 95.98 to 117.46). Positive surgical margins were associated with decreased overall survival (3.58 [1.46-8.80], p = 0.005). There was a statistically significant difference between the histologic grade in terms of local recurrence (4.50 [95% CI 2.57 to 7.88]; p < 0.001) and overall survival (3.12 [95% CI 1.52 to 6.41]; p = 0.002). Conclusions: Achieving a negative surgical margin distance of more than 1 mm appears to be correlated with a reduced risk of local recurrence. Positive surgical margins are a risk factor that detrimentally impacts overall patient survival. However, determining the appropriate margin distance for all patients poses a significant challenge.

Introduction: Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST) are aggressive soft tissue sarcoma (STS), originally arising from neural cell components. MPNST had a relatively high local recurrence rate of 22% and a disease survival rate of 45 - 60%. In this study, we would like to report a rare case of recurrent MPNST affecting the upper arm region, with a history of previously resected MPNST at the patient's ipsilateral elbow. Case Presentation: A 38-years old male patient complained of an enlarging mass in his left anterior axilla Patient had a history of left elbow mass 2 years before and had resected twice. Eight months afterward, a new tumor grew from his left axilla. From the physical examination, the mass was fixated and firm with an oval shape, size 8 x 6 cm. From chest CT scan examination, it appeared a soft tissue mass surrounded with stranding fat had infiltrated his left teres major muscle. The mass was removed successfully and the pathology result revealed a grade 2 MPNST. Post-operative radiotherapy was then scheduled. Among many STS, MPNSTs are notorious for having a high recurrence rate. NF1 mutation, tumors deeper than fascia, large tumors, high-grade tumors, and tumors arising from the trunk, head, and neck are related to poor prognosis in MPNST. Surgeons' inadequate knowledge, unplanned resections, and their dependency on radiotherapy are other iatrogenic factors for recurrences. Conclusion: MPNST has high recurrent risk, especially in high-grade tumors, large or deep tumors, surgery with positive resection margins, and NF1 mutations. The primary option for treatment is surgery and radiation therapy.

Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare cutaneous malignant lesion. Surgical resection is the primary treatment. However, the ideal surgical margin remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between different margins and EMPD recurrence rates. A total of 35 EMPD patients underwent surgical resection between 2008 and 2018. This study considered multiple factors associated with the local recurrence rate, including surgical margin, depth of excision, pathological margin, tumor size, and the time until recurrence occurred. The study demonstrated that a surgical margin of 2 cm signified the outcome of local recurrence, with 20.8% in the &lt;2 cm group and no local recurrence (0.0%) in the ≥2 cm group (p = 0.157). The tumor size statistics significantly affected the local recurrence at 9 cm (p &lt; 0.05). Other managements had no statistical significance to the local recurrence rate. A surgical margin size of more than 2 cm is suggested for the wide excision of EMPD patients, considering the recurrence percentage and outcome in this study. This retrospective study aimed to find the relation of surgical margin and the disease outcome of extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) by considering multiple factors associated with the local recurrence rate, including surgical margin, depth of excision, pathological margin, tumor size, and the time until recurrence occurred. The result showed that a surgical margin of ≥2 cm gave a better outcome of disease, and a tumor larger than 9 cm significantly affected the recurrence rate. The study suggests surgical excision of more than 2 cm around the tumor.

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma (PHL) is a rare malignant neoplasm, representing &lt;0.1% of all primary liver tumors. Originating from the smooth muscle cells of the intrahepatic vessels or the round ligament, its diagnosis is complex and requires the exclusion of metastases and other sarcomas. This case and literature review summarizes current knowledge on the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach and therapeutic management of LHP based on published literature. The clinical presentation is non-specific, often with abdominal pain and a detectable mass. Radical surgical resection (R0) is the only potentially curative treatment, but the high rate of local and metastatic recurrence negatively impacts the prognosis. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have a limited palliative or adjuvant role. Overall survival at 5 years is low (15-30%), emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and more effective multimodal therapeutic strategies. The clinical presentation is non-specific, often with abdominal pain and a detectable mass. Radical surgical resection (R0) is the only potentially curative treatment, but the high rate of local and metastatic recurrence negatively impacts the prognosis. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have a limited palliative or adjuvant role. Overall survival at 5 years is low (15-30%), emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and more effective multimodal therapeutic strategies.

To evaluate our experience with more than 500 minimally invasive hepatic procedures. Recent data have confirmed the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive liver surgery. Despite these reports, no programmatic approach to minimally invasive liver surgery has been proposed. We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent a minimally invasive procedure for the management of hepatic tumors between January 2001 and April 2008. Patients were divided into 3 groups: laparoscopy with intraoperative ultrasound and biopsy only, laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and minimally invasive resection. To compare the various forms of surgery, we analyzed the incidence of complications, tumor recurrence, mortality, and cost. Statistical analysis was performed using chi(2) analysis, Student t test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with the log-rank test, and multivariable Cox models. A total of 590 minimally invasive hepatic procedures were performed during 489 operative interventions. The representative tumor histologies were: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; N = 210), colorectal carcinoma (N = 40), miscellaneous liver metastases (N = 42), biliary cancer (N = 20), and benign tumors (N = 176). Thirty-five patients underwent laparoscopic ultrasound and confirmatory biopsy alone; 201 patients underwent 240 laparoscopic RFAs, and 253 patients underwent 306 minimally invasive resections. Conversion rates to open surgery for the RFA and resection group were 2% overall. One hundred ninety-nine (40.6%) patients were cirrhotic; 31 resections were performed in cirrhotic patients. Complication and mortality rates for RFA and resection were comparable (11% vs. 16%, and 1.5% vs. 1.6%). However, complication rates (14% vs. 29%; P = 0.02) and mortality (0.3% vs. 9.7%; P = 0.006) rates were higher in the cirrhotic versus noncirrhotic resection group. Overall recurrence rates for RFA and resection groups were 24% and 23%, respectively. Local recurrence rates were higher in the RFA group (6.3% versus 1.5%; P < 0.06). Overall patient survival differed between HCC patients receiving RFA alone and those receiving RFA and OLT (P < 0.0001). Overall survival for cancer patients receiving RFA versus resection differed significantly when unadjusted for other covariates (P = 0.01), and remained marginally significant in a multivariable model (P = 0.056). Minimally invasive hepatic surgery has become a viable alternative to open hepatic surgery. Our present data are equivalent or superior to those encountered in any large open series. Our experience with RFA confirms a low local recurrence rate and an excellent technique for bridging patients to transplantation. Morbidity and mortality rates for minimally invasive hepatic resections in cirrhotics, is similar to other reported open resection series. This series confirmed excellent interim survival rates after laparoscopic HR and superiority over RFA in the treatment of cancer, with significantly lower local tumor recurrence rate.

Cryoablation versus Partial Nephrectomy for Clinical T1b Renal Tumors: A Matched Group Comparative Analysis