[Multimodal treatment of sarcomas: standards and new aspects in pharmacological and radio-oncological treatment].

BACKGROUND

Patients with localized high-risk soft tissue sarcoma are at high risk for both local recurrence and distant metastases despite optimal surgical treatment.

OBJECTIVE

Importance of preoperative or postoperative chemotherapy and hyperthermia.

METHODS

Evaluation and overview of published study results.

RESULTS

Preoperative or postoperative radiotherapy is considered as standard for patients with localized high-risk soft tissue sarcoma. The results of two randomized studies on neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed a survival benefit. As both studies did not have a control arm without chemotherapy but in one case the superiority of anthracycline/ifosfamide-based chemotherapy in combination with hyperthermia over chemotherapy alone and in the other case the superiority of anthracycline/ifosfamide-based chemotherapy over histology-specific chemotherapy were shown, the formal proof of the superiority of this treatment is still missing. Stratifying the patients treated in the so far largest randomized adjuvant chemotherapy trial according to current risk criteria ( http://www.sarculator.com ) revealed a significant survival benefit for patients at high risk of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

For high-risk soft tissue sarcomas, multimodal treatment strategies involving perioperative chemotherapy, radiotherapy and, if possible, hyperthermia should be considered in addition to tumor resection. Preoperative chemotherapy should be given preference over postoperative chemotherapy based on available data.