Limb-sparing surgery for extremity sarcomas after preoperative intraarterial doxorubicin and radiation therapy

Complete local control of 25 extremity bone and soft tissue sarcomas was obtained by combined preoperative intraarterial doxorubicin and radiation therapy, followed by limb-sparing resection with reconstruction and adjuvant chemotherapy. At a 32 month median follow-up, there are no local tumor recurrences. Functional limbs were salvaged in 21 patients (84 percent). Fifteen patients (60 percent) were continuously disease-free and overall survival was 80 percent. After the extensive combined modality therapy, extremity complications, including delays in wound healing, occurred in 10 patients. Nevertheless, most complications were resolved with salvage of functional limbs. These results support an aggressive multimodality limb-sparing approach to high-grade extremity sarcomas.