Adjuvant therapy for adult patients with soft tissue sarcomas.

Soft tissue sarcomas are relatively uncommon malignant tumors in the adult population. These malignant tumors arise largely from the connective and supportive tissues in various anatomic sites. Adjuvant radiation therapy can be combined with conservative, non-amputative surgical procedures to achieve a high frequency of tumor control in most primary sites. In spite of local tumor control, a high proportion of patients will subsequently die from distant metastases. Randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy for such adult sarcomas are inconclusive. They suggest a possible benefit for patients with high-grade lesions of the extremities. Several trials indicate a possible local control advantage. However, because of potential morbidity of adjuvant chemotherapy, its use at this time should be restricted to clinical trials.