The Width of the Surgical Margin Does Not Influence Outcomes in Extremity and Truncal Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treated With Radiotherapy.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
It is unclear whether the quantitative width of the surgical margin influences outcomes in patients with extremity and truncal soft tissue sarcoma (STS) treated with radiotherapy (RT).


METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of 382 patients with localized extremity or truncal STS who underwent limb-sparing surgery and RT from 1983 to 2010, and we analyzed the significance of resection margin status and quantitative margin width on outcomes.


RESULTS
Surgical margins were positive in 68 (18%) patients and negative in 314 (82%) patients. For those patients with a reported quantitative margin width (n = 235), the width of the negative margin was ≤1 mm (n = 128), >1 mm and ≤5 mm (n = 79), and >5 mm (n = 28). At a median follow-up of 82 months, the local recurrence rates were 5.4% and 11.8% for margin-negative and margin-positive patients, respectively. There were no differences in the rates of local or distant recurrence nor of any survival outcome based on the quantitative width of the surgical margin, provided that it was negative.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients undergoing RT and limb-sparing surgery for STS, achieving a negative margin is essential for optimizing both local control and survival. However, the absolute quantitative width of the negative margin does not significantly influence outcome, and so attempts at wide margins of resection appear to be unnecessary. Importantly, the conclusions drawn from this study must not be applied to those patients undergoing surgery alone as the local treatment of their STS, in which case wider margins of resection may be necessary.


IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
In patients undergoing radiation therapy and limb-sparing surgery for soft tissue sarcoma, the quantitative width of the negative margin does not influence outcome, and so attempts at wide margins of resection appear to be unnecessary, especially when such attempts compromise the functional outcome. Importantly, the conclusions drawn from this study must not be applied to those patients undergoing surgery alone as the local treatment of their soft tissue sarcoma, in which case wider margins of resection may be necessary.
['Ahmad|Rima|R|', 'Jacobson|Alex|A|', 'Hornicek|Francis|F|', 'Haynes|Alex B|AB|', 'Choy|Edwin|E|', 'Cote|Gregory|G|', 'Nielsen|G Petur|GP|', 'Chen|Yen-Lin|YL|', 'DeLaney|Thomas F|TF|', 'Mullen|John T|JT|']
D003131:Combined Modality Therapy D005260:Female D006801:Humans D023821:Limb Salvage D008297:Male D000072662:Margins of Excision D008875:Middle Aged D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage D012189:Retrospective Studies D012509:Sarcoma D016896:Treatment Outcome
Outcome Extremity Soft tissue sarcoma Margin width Radiation therapy