Current diagnosis and therapy of soft tissue sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas are a difficult group of cancers to treat and require a multimodality approach. The ideal surgical procedure should obtain adequate resection margins and also attempt to spare limb function. Radiation therapy has a prominent role in preventing local recurrence of the tumor postoperatively. Other methods of delivering radiation therapy are currently being explored to achieve maximum benefit and minimize treatment complications. The role of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy has yet to be defined, and ongoing clinical trials are in progress. As further advances in clinical and investigational sciences are uncovered, it is hoped that ultimately the best combination of treatments for this tumor will be found.