Soft tissue sarcoma: the predominant primary malignancy in the retroperitoneum

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Retroperitoneal masses often lack a definitive diagnosis in clinical settings.
• Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is frequently misdiagnosed or not considered in the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal neoplasms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in the retroperitoneal space.
• To compare the incidence of STS with other malignant and benign retroperitoneal tumors.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of nation-wide data on retroperitoneal tumors collected prospectively over a 5-year period (1989-1994).
• Data sourced from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and The Dutch Network and National Database for Pathology.

Main Results:

• Seven hundred and six primary retroperitoneal neoplasms were identified; 80% were malignant.
• Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) was the most frequent malignant retroperitoneal tumor (n=192).
• The age-standardized incidence of retroperitoneal STS was 2.5 per million person-years, with a male/female ratio of 0.73. STS comprised 41% of malignant tumors in females and 28% in males.

Conclusions:

• Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are relatively common primary retroperitoneal tumors, despite their rarity.
• STS are particularly prevalent in women presenting with retroperitoneal masses.