Intraarterial chemotherapy of soft-tissue sarcomas

This review compares the results of preoperative intraarterial chemotherapy delivered by various methods, such as intraarterial injection/infusion, tourniquet infusion, and isolation perfusion, with the results achieved by pre- and postoperative radiotherapy. The histological heterogeneity of soft tissue sarcomas adds to the inherent difficulties of comparing results across studies. There is a clear need for randomized studies to directly compare these treatment modalities in similar patient populations. Patients with these rare tumors would benefit from the expertise of multidisciplinary teams available at the larger centers. Metastatic spread, which even with the highest rates of local control, occurs in approximately 30% of high grade soft tissue sarcomas, represents a continuing challenge, and innovative approaches are needed to control systemic disease.