[Clinical treatment of 37 cases of soft tissue sarcomas in the past 6 years].

Since 1981, 37 cases of soft tissue sarcomas have been treated in our clinic. There were 20 males and 17 females with an average age of 43.5 years old. Histopathological classifications were liposarcomas 9 cases, MFH 8 cases, synovial sarcoma 5 cases, rhabdomyosarcoma 3 cases etc. Twenty-four cases (65%) were located in lower extremity, 11 cases (30%) in upper extremity, and 2 cases (5%) in trunk. All cases were treated with surgical intervention. Postoperative radiation was undertaken in 4 cases and adjuvant chemotherapy in 12 cases, respectively. There were 28 cases (76%) of excisional surgery; i.e., so-called limb salvage operation, and 9 cases (24%) of amputation or disarticulation. In August 1987, 10 cases had died of disease (DOD) and 27 cases were alive, but 4 cases were alive with disease (AWD). Each of the DOD and AWD cases were in stage III (by Enneking's surgical staging system) at first arrival to our clinic, or multioperated cases or cases with rapid distant metastases soon after operation. In conclusion, it was emphasized that in order to improve the clinical results, the soft tissue sarcomas must be treated earlier and that more effective chemotherapeutical protocols should be developed in the future.