Annals of surgery
-
The results of surgical treatment of 297 soft tissue sarcomas arising in the lower extremity were critically examined. En bloc wide soft part resection (158 cases) yielded five and ten year survival rates of 63% and 50%. Amputation or major disarticulation (139 cases) gave corresponding survival rates of 45% and 29%. ⋯ Amputation should br resorted to if an adequate margin of resection cannot otherwise be obtained. This decision must be weighted against the high frequency of distant metastases in this disease. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy offer prospects of prevention of this tragic outcome.