[Retroperitoneal sarcomas - size not decisive]

A 70 year-old female presented with a 40 x 40 cm unresectable liposarcoma which showed progression during chemotherapy. After renewed evaluation, a radical resection was done. The second case concerns a 64 year-old male with a 19 x 15 cm liposarcoma in the upper abdomen. A radical tumour resection together with the pancreatic tail, the spleen and the transverse mesocolon/colon was carried out. Both patients recovered without complications, and remain disease-free at two years. Retroperitoneal sarcomas are notoriously "silent", and may grow to considerable size before diagnosis. The evaluation is difficult, and radical resection frequently demands multiorgan surgery. Management at a national "Sarcoma Unit" is essential for the prognosis.