[Radiotherapy of sarcomas of the soft tissue in the adult]

Clinical experience has proved henceforth that radiotherapy must be considered as an integral part of the treatment of adult soft tissue sarcomas. When combined with surgery, it considerably reduces the local recurrence rate and increases the long term cure rate to about 70%. Such results can be achieved with the minimal impeding sequellae when the dose of irradiation is adjusted following the quality of the surgical excision. A dose of 50 Gy is sufficient when no microscopic tumoral foci are left in the tumor bed by the surgeon. It must be higher when it is not the case. The residual metastatic risk is about 30%. We begin to know better which factors are linked to this risk. Clinical research is under way to assess the value of adding chemotherapy in the protocol of high risk patients.