Soft tissue sarcomas in adults. Surgical, radiologic and cytotoxic treatment.

Soft tissue sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant tumours of mesenchymal and neuroectodermal origin, comprising about one per cent of all malignant diseases. The prognosis of soft tissue sarcomas is generally poor with 5 and 10 year survival rates of about 50 and 40 per cent, respectively. The modern guidelines for the different treatment modalities in soft tissue sarcomas, including local therapy (surgery, radiation therapy) and systemic therapy (cytotoxic chemotherapy) are described. The multidisciplinary approach to the treatment, optionally organised in national or international cooperative groups is emphasized .