The effect of local recurrence on survival time in adult high-grade soft tissue sarcomas

Data gathered on 262 adults with high-grade soft tissue sarcoma, operated on at the same institution for curative intent, were used to study formally, and to quantitate for the first time, the relationship between local recurrence of the tumor and survival time. Using Cox's proportional hazards model with a time-dependent covariate representing the local recurrence of the tumor, it was found that local recurrence is significantly associated with a shorter survival time (estimated relative risk (relative hazard) = 2.5, p less than 0.0001). The estimated 5 yr survival rate and median survival time for patients without a local recurrence were 44% and 42 months, respectively, while the corresponding figures for patients with a local recurrence were only 26% and 28 months. Hence, a local recurrence resulted in a relative decline in the estimated 5 yr survival rate of 41%. This strong relationship continued to hold even after adjusting for several other important, time-independent prognostic variables (stage, type of surgery, type of resection, signs of sarcomatous skin invasion, and presence of postoperative fever) in a multivariable analysis. Local control of high-grade soft tissue sarcomas is vitally important for successful management of these patients.