ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2006 June;57(3):165-73

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Quality of life in soft tissue sarcoma of the limb

Sacco F. ¹, Gino G. C. ¹, Albertini U. ¹, Piana R. ¹, Comandone A. ², Linari A. ³, Forni M. ³, Faletti C. ⁴, Ricardi U. ⁵, Boffano M. ¹, Mosetto F. ¹, Actis M. V. ⁶, Turbiglio M. ⁷, Verga L. ⁴, 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 di Torino 2 SCDO Oncologia Medica Ospedale Gradenigo, Torino 3 Servizio di Anatomia Patologica ASO OIRM, S. Anna, Torino 4 Dipartimento di Radiologia ASO CTO, CRF, MA, Torino 5 Dipartimento di Radioterapia ASO S. Giovanni Battista, Torino 6 Dipartimento di Riabilitazione ASO CTO, CRF, MA, Torino 7 SCDU Medicina del Lavoro ASO CTO, CFR, MA, Torino

Aim. Soft-tissue sarcoma must be treated at specialized tumour centres with an adequate excision, however, this life-saving surgery often leaves a poor residual quality of life. Tests for quality of life in soft tissue sarcoma are not standardized. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of life in patients affected by soft tissue sarcoma, treated in a regional reference centre.
Methods. Between 1994 and 2004, 120 patients with histological diagnoses of soft tissue sarcomas were treated by the 1st Orthopaedic Clinic, ASO CTO, CRF, MA of Turin: 19 deceased, 17 were lost to follow-up, 1 refused the control, 35 postponed it, 48 were evaluated with Quality of Life for Cancer Survivors (QoL-CS), Short Form 36, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG): 30 males, 18 females, average age 58 years, average follow-up 35 months, a lower extremity involvement in 88% of the cases.
Results. QoL was more compromised in males, older subjects, those with low grade education, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and leiomyosarcoma, after chemotherapy, with cardiovascular or pneumological diseases and when longer hospitalization was required. As the study cohort was small data varied widely.
Conclusion. Even if this is a preliminary study the tests adopted are adequate. These application on longer cohorts in multicentre studies could well result in significant data as to the rarity of this pathology.