Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the limbs

Between June 1985 and May 1990 we treated 12 patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the limbs by a combination of wide excision and adjuvant radiotherapy. The Enneking surgical staging was II in 11 cases and III in 1. There were 6 women and 6 men, with an average age of 54 years. The leg was involved in 8 patients and the arm in 4. Limb salvage was achieved in 10 patients and amputation was performed in 2. All received adjuvant radiotherapy, with an average of 51.5 Gy. In 6 patients adjuvant CYVADIC chemotherapy was administered for an average of 4 cycles. In the other patients this treatment was not tolerated. Local recurrence occurred in 2 patients and metastases to the lung were seen in a further 2. At an average follow-up of 41.3 months, the Kaplan-Meier estimation of 5 year survival was 87.5%, with a 5 year continuous disease-free survival rate of 66.7%.