Journal of surgical oncology
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Comparative Study
Soft tissue sarcomas: preoperative versus postoperative radiotherapy.
External beam radiation may be given either before or after excision of a primary soft tissue sarcoma. This study was undertaken to determine whether or not the timing of radiotherapy was associated with any difference in either local control, survival, or incidence of complications. The files of 112 patients with a primary, nonmetastatic, extremity soft tissue sarcoma, treated with limb salvage surgery and irradiation were evaluated. ⋯ Preoperative irradiation was not associated with any benefit in terms of relapse-free survival, overall survival or actuarial local control in this series. A higher incidence of major wound complications was found among patients treated with preoperative irradiation. We recommend that patients with a resectable extremity soft tissue sarcoma be treated with postoperative irradiation, reserving preoperative irradiation for those situations in which either the tumor is initially thought to be unresectable or the original tumor boundaries are obscured.