Neoadjuvant sequential chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for treatment of high-risk extremity soft tissue sarcoma: a single-institution experience

Patients with large and high-grade extremity soft-tissue sarcoma are at significant risk for distant metastasis and sarcoma-related death. There is no randomized trial comparing chemoradiotherapy to radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting for high risk extremity soft-tissue sarcoma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of patients treated with two different modalities (neoadjuvant sequential chemoradiotherapy vs. radiotherapy alone) in a single center. Data of 67 patients were analyzed retrospectively. Thirty-four patients received neoadjuvant sequential chemoradiotherapy (2-3 cycles of doxorubicin (75 mg/m ) and ifosfamide (6 g/m ) followed by radiotherapy of 28 Grays (Gy) administered as 8 fractions of 35 Gy) and 33 patients received radiotherapy alone. R0 resection rates and 3-year survival estimates were evaluated. Median follow-up time was 37 months. The estimated 3-year overall and disease-free survival rates for the whole patient group were 79% (95% CI: 67.0-86.4) and 57.9% (95% CI: 46.3-69.0), respectively. The most common side effects were nausea and leucopenia. Three-year overall, disease-free, local recurrence-free and distant recurrence-free survival rates did not differ significantly. All patients except one underwent wide excision or compartmental resection. R0 resection rate for the whole patient group was 92.5% ( = 62). Sites of progression were similar across both treatment arms. Preoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy alone or sequentially with chemotherapy result in high rates of limb salvage and acceptable toxicity. Our study results did not show a statistically significant treatment effect regarding survival and patterns of failure.