Value of repeat resection for survival in pulmonary metastases from soft tissue sarcoma.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary metastasectomy in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) can lead to long-term survival. The aim of our study was to report on prognostic factors and the value of repeat resection in recurrent disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS Seventy-eight pulmonary metastasectomies were performed on 42 STS patients from 1990 to 2005. Overall survival time and 3-year survival rate were evaluated. Subgroup analysis was performed on age, primary tumor stage, histological type and grade, occurrence and recurrence pattern, systemic treatment and number of resections. RESULTS The 3-year actuarial survival rate was 31%. Primary tumor grade and repeat resections were shown to be independent prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSION Patients with repeat resections due to recurrent metastasis show a significantly better prognosis than those with only one resection. Thus, lacking randomised controlled data of the natural course of patients with unresected lung metastases to compare these results, metastasectomy in STS patients is also recommended in recurrent disease.