[Primary retroperitoneal tumors. Symptoms-diagnosis--therapy]

Symptoms, diagnosis, and therapy of primary retroperitoneal tumors are presented with reference to 50 of the authors' cases. Seventy to 80% of the tumors are malignant; the most frequent are sarcomas. Males and females are equally afflicted; most cases are found within the 50-60 yearage range. First symptom is generally the palpable abdominal tumor. The diagnostic procedure of choic ist i.v. urography as well as selective angiograpms. At the time of diagnosis only 30-40% of tumors can be resected. Postoperative mortality ist about 10%. Seventy percent of tumors are radiosensitive. Prognosis can be considerably improved by postoperative radiation. Survival times of more than 2 years in patients presenting with malignant primary retroperitoneal tumors are exceptional.