Colorectal sarcoma: analysis of failure patterns

Colorectal sarcomas (CRS) are rare and their treatment remains controversial, especially for those located in the rectum. The aim of this paper is to evaluate our experience, with special emphasis on the failure pattern after surgical therapy alone or combined with postoperative radiotherapy.

The medical records and histological slides of 13 CRS patients treated between 1986 and 1996 were reviewed retrospectively.

The patients included eight males and five females, with a median age of 54 years; nine of their primary tumors were located in the rectum, and four in the colon. The histologies were leiomyosarcoma in nine cases and malignant fibrous histiocytoma in four cases. Surgical treatment consisted of anatomical colectomy (four); local excision (three); abdominoperineal resection (APR)(two); low anterior resection (LAR)(two); LAR en bloc with the prostate (one), and total pelvic exenteration (one). One operative death occurred. The median size of the tumors was 8 cm (range, 5-40). The tumors were graded as low, three, and high, ten. The median follow-up was 24 months. Eight patients in the overall group developed recurrences as follows: local, three; local and distant, three, and distant, two. Five out of nine patients with rectal sarcoma received adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (PRT). Local recurrence occurred in 20% (1/5) of those who received PRT, and in 100% (3/3) of those who did not. The overall 5-year survival was 40%, and the 5-year survival for patients with low-grade tumors was 66%, as compared with 22% for those with high-grade tumors.

The patterns of failure in CRS are combined in both local and distant sites. However, our results suggest that in rectal sarcoma, the use of surgery + PRT may reduce the local recurrence rate; in selected patients, it may allow for anal sphincter preservation.