ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Chirurgica 2005 August;60(4):273-8

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Chest wall and vertebral en-bloc resection for sarcoma: ten-year experience

Incarbone M., Alloisio M., Luzzati S., Testori A., Cariboni U., Infante M., Errico V., Canevini M., Ravasi G.

Aim. We reviewed our ten-year experience with surgical en-bloc chest wall and vertebral resection for sarcoma invading the spine, and verified five-year survival and feasibility of this aggressive surgery.
Methods. From 1994 to 1999, 13 patients underwent surgical en-bloc resection for primary sarcoma of the chest wall involving the spine. Concurrent pulmonary resection was performed in 12 cases. A single hemi-vertebrectomy was performed in 2 patients, a triple hemi-vertebrectomy in 2, a complete vertebrectomy in 4, a triple complete vertebrectomy in 5.
Results. Significative morbidity occurred in 1 patient who had lower limbs paralysis (9%). Perioperative mortality occurred in 2 patients (15.4%): 1 operative death for bleeding and 1 patients for a adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The overall five-year survival was 30.8%, excluding the 2 perioperative deaths the five-year survival resulted 36.4%.
Conclusion. In spite of the limited number of patients, the morbility and mortality outcome and the five-year survival leads us to think that surgery is the main therapy for primary chest wall sarcomas involving the spine. En-bloc chest wall and vertebral resection is a safe and effective treatment.