[Thermoradiochemotherapy of inoperable soft-tissue sarcoma]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Soft-tissue sarcomas are rare cancers requiring multimodal treatment.
• Inoperable cases present significant therapeutic challenges.
• Optimizing preoperative treatment is crucial for improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative thermoradiotherapy and thermoradiochemotherapy in patients with inoperable soft-tissue sarcoma.
• To compare outcomes with standard preoperative radiotherapy.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 175 patients with inoperable soft-tissue sarcoma.
• Patients were divided into three groups: radiotherapy, thermoradiotherapy, and thermoradiochemotherapy.
• Outcomes assessed included 5-year recurrence-free survival and overall survival.

Main Results:

• Thermoradiochemotherapy showed the highest 5-year survival (60+/-2%) and recurrence-free survival (56+/-1.7%).
• Thermoradiotherapy also demonstrated improved survival (50+/-7%) and recurrence-free survival (48+/-6%) over radiotherapy alone (44+/-8% and 37+/-7%, respectively).
• Local hyperthermia significantly increased complete and partial tumor regression rates.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative thermoradiotherapy and thermoradiochemotherapy are effective in improving survival and reducing recurrence in inoperable soft-tissue sarcoma.
• The addition of local hyperthermia to radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy enhances tumor response.
• These findings support the integration of hyperthermia in the preoperative management of advanced soft-tissue sarcomas.