Compartmental resection reduces local recurrence in retroperitoneal sarcomas

The adoption of compartmental resection, a more extensive surgical approach, for treating retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas (RPS) has led to a substantial reduction in local recurrence rate, according to a study.

RPS is a rare form of cancer that arises in the soft tissues of the retroperitoneum, the area behind the abdominal cavity. Historically, surgical resection has been the cornerstone of treatment.

In this comprehensive analysis, researchers divided the cases into two distinct time periods, 2010-2015 and 2016-2019, representing periods before and after the routine adoption of compartmentectomy. A total of 176 cases were initially included, with 102 meeting the stringent inclusion criteria.

The cohort had an average tumor size of 24.5 cm. Liposarcoma emerged as the most common histological subtype (65.7%), followed by leiomyosarcoma (12.7%) and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (8.8%). The median follow-up period was 40 months.

A substantial reduction in local recurrence rates among the group treated with compartmentectomy in the recent period (20% vs 42.3%, P = 0.007) was noted. The median overall survival (OS) stood at 38.7 months, with no significant variance in distant recurrence between the 2 time periods. Although postoperative morbidity was higher in the recent period (25% vs 10%, p = 0.041), there was no discernible difference in 30-day mortality.

Reference
Garcia-Ortega DY, Jiménez-Ortega JA, Melendez-Fernandez AP, et al. Does compartmental resection really impact retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas? A retrospective analysis from a Single Referral Center. Surg Oncol. 2023;51:101997. doi: 10.1016/j.suronc.2023.101997. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37832278.