Prognostic Significance of Histological Subtype in Soft Tissue Sarcoma With Distant Metastasis

Abstract

Background/aim: Few studies have examined the prognostic significance of histological subtypes in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and distant metastasis, and we evaluated the relationship between the histological subtypes and clinical outcomes.

Patients and methods: This retrospective study evaluated the histological subtypes of 105 patients with STS and distant metastasis. The STS histological subtypes were compared based on the clinical information.

Results: The Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival revealed that myxoid liposarcoma had a significantly better prognosis compared to Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST) (p=0.0221). In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, the independent predictors of a poor prognosis were: i) large size, ii) advanced stage, and iii) non-surgical treatment for metastasis (p<0.05). The presence or absence of lung metastasis was not significantly associated with prognosis (p=0.4452).

Conclusion: Myxoid liposarcoma had a better prognosis compared to MPNST in STS patients with distant metastasis. The surgical removal of distant metastatic lesions may improve the patient's prognosis.

Keywords: Soft tissue sarcoma; distant metastasis; malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor; prognosis.