OBJECTIVETo investigate the prognosis factors of soft tissue sarcoma, especially the impact of surgical treatment on the prognosis.

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed 208 surgically treated patients. There were 128 male and 80 female. The average age was 46 ranged from 9 to 98 years old. Possible factors of whether the patient firstly treated in our hospital, the tumor size (< 5 cm, 5 ∼ 10 cm, > 10 cm), tumor depth (superficial deep fascia, under the deep fascia), histological type (such as adipose sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, synovial sarcoma, fibrous sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, other tumors), tumor grade (FNCLCC I, II, III), surgical margin (intralesional, marginal, wide, radical) and adjuvant therapy on the prognosis of patients were analyzed.

RESULTSThe median follow-up was 37.5 ranged from 1.3 to 128.1 months. The overall 3-year and 5-year survival were 77% and 75%. The overall 3-year and 5-year recurrence rate were 28% and 37%. The overall 3-year and 5-year metastasis rate were 35% and 43%. Tumor size, tumor grade and metastasis or not independently affected survival (χ(2) = 18.813, 24.849 and 21.107, all P < 0.05). Whether the patient firstly treated in our hospital and histological type independently affect the local recurrence (χ(2) = 21.915, 12.192, both P < 0.05); histological grade can independently affect the metastasis (χ(2) = 7.714, P < 0.05). Surgical margin alone affected the local recurrence and metastasis (χ(2) = 19.610, 9.272, both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSurgical margin independently affected local recurrence and distant metastasis, and thus indirectly affect the survival of soft tissue sarcoma. In particular, the primary choice for treatment of soft tissue sarcoma without metastasis should be surgery. Wide or radical margin could significantly improve the prognosis of soft tissue sarcoma patients.