[Roles of Histopathological Diagnosis in Multidisciplinary Therapy for Soft-Tissue Sarcoma]

Soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) is very rare malignant tumor with many kinds of histological subtypes and variants, as well as being a newly emerging entity. Because of its rarity, general pathologists are not familiar with STS and have difficulty making an accurate histopathological diagnosis in such cases. As an accurate diagnosis is essential for the selection of appropriate therapy, the Japanese Society of Pathology offers a nationwide consultation system. Some clinical trials for molecular targeted therapy have been conducted based on pathological examination findings. Pathologists play various roles in the future of sarcoma therapy.