Next questions in the management of retroperitoneal sarcoma

Retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcomas (RPS) are a group of rare, histologically distinct tumours with variable recurrence patterns depending on histological type. This review will discuss the growing body of evidence supporting histology-specific, multidisciplinary management and highlight areas of future research for patients with RPS.

Histology-tailored surgery is the cornerstone of management in patients with localized RPS. Further efforts to develop resectability criteria and identify patients who will benefit from neoadjuvant treatment strategies will help standardize the treatment of patients with localized RPS. Surgery for local recurrence is well tolerated in selected patients and re-iterative surgery in liposarcoma (LPS) may be beneficial at the time of local recurrence. The management of advanced RPS holds promise with several trials currently investigating systemic treatment beyond conventional chemotherapy.

The management of RPS has made significant progress over the past decade owing to international collaboration. Ongoing efforts to identify patients who will derive the most benefit from all treatment strategies will continue to advance the field of RPS.