Prognosis of Patients with Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Advances in Recent Years
Jakob Lochner, Franka Menge, Nikolaos Vassos, Peter Hohenberger, Bernd Kasper
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the prognosis of patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and to define prognostic indicators for overall survival (OS). METHODS: All patients who were treated at the Sarcoma Unit at the Mannheim University Medical Center between 2010 and 2016 and who developed metastatic disease deriving from a STS were included in this retrospective analysis. OS was investigated using data from clinical records and German registry offices. Clinical and pathological characteristics were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: A total number of 212 patients developed metastatic disease from STS during that period. Median OS after first documentation of metastatic disease was 24 months (95% CI 21-33). 1-, 2-, and 5-year OS rates were 70.0% (95% CI 64-77), 49.9% (95% CI 43-58), and 24.8% (95% CI 19-33), respectively. In multivariate analysis, significant predictors for mortality appeared to be gender, age, location and size of the primary tumor, histology, and disease-free interval. CONCLUSION: Being treated in a high-volume STS reference center in Germany, patients with metastatic disease could demonstrate an increased OS compared to former analyses. These data can be used as a benchmark for upcoming studies and highlight that further research on treatment strategies in this rare disease is urgently needed.