Soft tissue sarcoma: the experience of a regional hospital in Hong Kong

The clinical features and treatment results of 66 soft tissue sarcomas (STS) were reported from a regional hospital in Hong Kong. The nature of the locoregional treatment and the grade were the chief prognostic factors governing survival and local control. Radical surgery (amputation/radical local resection) was determined by the site, the extent of the STS and potential functional loss. Complete resection with a variable margin followed by post-operative radiotherapy (60-70 Gy) produced survival and local tumour control similar to that of radical surgery. Incomplete surgery (partial excision/biopsy only) was associated with significantly poorer, survival and local tumour control, despite the administration of radiotherapy. Palliative chemotherapy for metastatic or recurrent STS has been disappointing, with low tumour response rates, while first line and adjuvant chemotherapy was difficult to assess for its efficacy in the present study. The overall survival of non-metastatic STS was comparable to that reported from developed countries. Suggestions are made to improve treatment results of STS in Hong Kong.