ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2006 June;57(3):157-63

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Function of lower extremity soft tissue sarcomas

Sacco F. ¹, Gino G. C. ¹, Albertini U. ¹, Piana R. ¹, Actis M. V. ², Comandone A. ³, Faletti C. ⁴, Linari A. ⁵, Forni M. ⁵, Ricardi U. ⁶, Mosetto F. ¹, Boffano M. ¹, Turbiglio M. ⁷, Brach del Prever E. M. ¹

¹ Dipartimento di Ortopedia e Traumatologia Unità Operativa Dipartimentale di Chirurgia Ortopedica Oncologica e Ricostruttiva ASO CTO, CRF, MA, Torino 2 Dipartimento di Riabilitazione ASO CTO, CRF, MA, Torino 3 SCDO Oncologia Medica Ospedale Gradenigo, Torino 4 Dipartimento di Radiologia ASO CTO, CRF, MA, Torino 5 Servizio di Anatomia Patologica ASO OIRM, S. Anna, Torino 6 Dipartimento di Radioterapia ASO S. Giovanni Battista, Torino 7 SCDU Medicina del Lavoro ASO CTO, CRF, MA, Torino

Aim. The surgery of soft tissue sarcomas, also at a specialized reference oncology centre and with limb sparing, may result in severe functional limitations. Aim of the study was to evaluate the functional outcome in patients treated for soft-tissue sarcomas of the lower extremity, with limb sparing, in a regional reference centre.
Methods. A total of 42 patients (26 males, 16 females, average age 60 years), with soft tissue sarcomas of lower extremity, treated with limb sparing surgery, were evaluated with Enneking and “Toronto Extremity Salvage Score”, (TESS). Average follow up was 34 months. The cohort was taken from a group of 48 patients treated by the 1ST Orthopaedic Clinic, ASO CTO, CRF, MA of Turin, between 1994 and 2004 and evaluated for quality of life with the questionnaires, QoL-CS, ECOG and SF-36.
Results. The function was reduced in males, in older subjects, in those with concomitant diseases, after chemotherapy, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and leiomyosarcoma, high histological grade, extra-compartimental and marginal excision.
Conclusion. The function of patients treated with limb sparing for soft-tissue sarcomas of lower extremity at Polo Cittadella of Turin, was evaluated by the Enneking and TESS questionnaires and found to be acceptable. Extra-compartimental lesions in older males was the worst prognostic factor. As this is a preliminary study it should be compared to data from other specialized tumour centres with larger cohorts.