Soft tissue sarcomas in whites and blacks living in the United States of America.

Five hundred four hospitals volunteered reports on 2,355 patients in a long-term study and 645 institutes reported on 3,457 in a short-term study. Out of 5,623 cases of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) reported in white and blacks living in the United States of America, 574 cases (10.2%) were reported in blacks. No striking differences were found between blacks and whites concerning anatomic sites, histologic types, histologic grades, or clinical stages of STS. A higher percentage of patients with recurrences were reported in whites with liposarcoma (37.7% compared to 28.9% in blacks), and leiomyosarcoma (45% in whites compared to 39.1% in blacks). On the other hand recurrences were more frequent in fibrosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma in black patients. No significant differences in survival was found between white and black patients with STS.