Definitive surgical management for soft-tissue sarcomas

The surgical management of soft-tissue sarcomas, a seemingly heterogeneous group of malignant tumours, depends on the circumstances (e.g., untreated primary tumour, inadequately resected primary tumour, local recurrence, metastasis) and site. The basic steps in managing a primary tumour include using the correct method to establish a diagnosis, obtaining adequate tumour-free resection margins and giving consideration to adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both. Local recurrences and metastatic lesions require a multidisciplinary approach. The relative rarity of this group of sarcomas and the low survival rate associated with them make it mandatory that such patients be treated in centres able to provide specialized care from the beginning.