Rooser et al identified risk factors affecting prognosis in patients with soft tissue sarcomas of "the locomotor system". This can help separate patients into risk groups which can aid therapeutic decisions. The authors are from University Hospital of Lund, Sweden.
Patients excluded:
(1) distant metastases present
(2) positive margins (unresectable). This is not stated in the text, but this does not appear to be covered by the patient population. It also is a risk factor. I would imagine that the survival rate would be less than that shown by a comparable tumor with a marginal margin.
Risk factors:
(1) gender
(2) tumor size
(3) tumor necrosis
(4) tumor Grade
|
Factor |
Finding |
Points |
|
patient gender |
female |
0 |
|
|
male |
1 |
|
tumor Grade |
I, II or III |
0 |
|
|
IV |
1 |
|
tumor size |
<= 10 cm |
0 |
|
|
> 10 cm |
1 |
|
tumor necrosis |
absent or not extensive |
0 |
|
|
extensive |
1 |
risk score =
= SUM(points for the 4 risk factors)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 4
• The higher the score, the worse the prognosis.
|
Risk Score |
10 Year Survival Rate with Wide or Radical Margin |
10 Year Survival Rate with Marginal Margin |
|
0 or 1 |
100% |
65% |
|
2 |
75% |
41% |
|
3 or 4 |
22% |
12% |
from Table 4, page 820
Specialty: Hematology Oncology, Surgery, general, Surgery, orthopedic
