The role of plastic surgery in sarcoma treatment

Introduction Sarcomas are low-incidence tumours, but their poor prognosis and complex treatment require the work of a multidisciplinary medical team. The Plastic Surgery Service forms part of the Sarcoma Functional Unit in our centre, performing tumour exeresis as well as immediate reconstruction. Materials and methods We present a retrospective study on the experience of the Plastic Surgery Service of the Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge in the treatment of 133 sarcomas over 20 years. Results The surgical treatment was based on local radical surgery supported by primary reconstructive surgery in 42.9% of the cases, with an amputation rate in limb sarcomas of 9.7%. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were used in the high-grade sarcomas as adjuvant treatment. The anatomical location of the head and neck was associated with the need for reconstructive procedures. Survival free from local recurrence was 84.72% at 5 years. Disease-specific survival was 81.22% at 5 years. The only prognostic factor for survival in our series was histological grade. Conclusions Primary reconstructive surgery has a fundamental role in sarcoma treatment enabling radical surgical resection, avoiding amputations and facilitating adjuvant treatments.