BACKGROUND: To evaluate the morbimortality, survival and prognostics factors of retroperitonial sarcomas. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 59 patients operated on at the Abdomino-Pelvic Department of Surgery of the National Cancer Institute of Brazil between June 1992 and July 2003. RESULTS: The most common complaints were abdominal pain and abdominal mass. Resectability rate was 74.57%, and radicality 48.88%. There were two postoperative deaths (3.38%) and 12 complications (20.33%). Liposarcomas and leiomyosarcomas were the most common tumor types. The most frequent tumor grade was G3 (38.98%) and tumor median diameter was 20.4 cm. The overall two and five-year survival rates were 49% and 20% respectively and the median disease free survival rate was 23 months. In the univariate analysis, tumor diameter (> or < = 12 cm), tumor differentiation grade ([G1 + G2] X [G3 + G4]), radical (R0) or palliative resection (R1 + R2), operative blood transfusion, and re-resection, even if palliative, in cases of recurrence or persistence of disease (n = 52), were significant (p = 0.0267, 0.048, 0.0001, 0.022 and 0.0003, respectively). Multivariate analysis did not show any independent factor. CONCLUSION: In the present moment, only early diagnosis, radical surgery, absence of intra-operative blood transfusion and reresection in cases of recurrence or persistence of disease, will provide greater chances of a long term survival.
Sarcoma; Retroperitoneal neoplasms; Indicators of morbidity and mortality; Survival rate; Prognosis
