Ross J A, Severson R K, Davis S, Brooks J J
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
Cancer. 1993 Jul 15;72(2):486-90. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19930715)72:2<486::aid-cncr2820720226>3.0.co;2-r.
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) comprise a relatively rare group of malignant tumors of the connective tissues. It is estimated that approximately 6000 cases of STS will occur in the United States in 1993. Concerns have been raised in the clinical community that the incidence of STS may be increasing.
Incidence rates of STS were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Cases were restricted by histologic classification to malignant tumors determined a priori to be STS by a pathologist specializing in diseases of soft tissue. Age-, sex- and race-specific rates also were examined.
A total of 18,525 newly diagnosed cases of STS were identified for the period 1973 through 1987 in the United States. There was a marked increase in the age-adjusted incidence rate during the interval from 1981 to 1987, with rates increasing from 4.4 x 10(-6) in 1981 to 7.1 x 10(-6) in 1987. However, when patients with Kaposi sarcoma (KS) (International Classification of Diseases for Oncology [ICD-O] code 9140) were eliminated from this analysis, the rates remained relatively unchanged throughout the time period. Additional stratification by age, gender, and race revealed no important differences in this observed lack of a time trend. Gastrointestinal tract cases were examined separately, and no significant changes in incidence rates were observed.
It appears as though the increase in STS during this time period is accounted for primarily by KS, perhaps because of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome epidemic (since single men between the ages of 20 and 59 years accounted for almost 69% of all cases of KS). Additional studies that examine other populations or time periods after 1987 might be useful.
软组织肉瘤（STS）是一组相对罕见的结缔组织恶性肿瘤。据估计，1993年美国将出现约6000例软组织肉瘤病例。临床界已有人担心软组织肉瘤的发病率可能正在上升。
软组织肉瘤的发病率数据来自监测、流行病学和最终结果计划。病例通过组织学分类限定为经软组织疾病专科病理学家预先确定为软组织肉瘤的恶性肿瘤。还对年龄、性别和种族特异性发病率进行了研究。
1973年至1987年期间，美国共确诊18525例新发软组织肉瘤病例。在1981年至1987年期间，年龄调整发病率显著上升，发病率从1981年的4.4×10⁻⁶增至1987年的7.1×10⁻⁶。然而，当分析中排除卡波西肉瘤（KS）（国际肿瘤疾病分类[ICD - O]代码9140）患者后，发病率在整个时间段内相对保持不变。按年龄、性别和种族进一步分层显示，在观察到的缺乏时间趋势方面没有重要差异。对胃肠道病例进行了单独检查，未观察到发病率有显著变化。
这段时间内软组织肉瘤发病率的增加似乎主要是由卡波西肉瘤导致的，这可能是由于获得性免疫缺陷综合征的流行（因为20至59岁的单身男性几乎占所有卡波西肉瘤病例的69%）。对1987年以后的其他人群或时间段进行研究可能会有所帮助。
