The use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas is controversial. This is a report of long-term (≥5 years) follow-up in patients with high-grade, high-risk soft tissue sarcomas treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, preoperative radiotherapy (RT), and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Patients with high-grade soft tissue sarcoma≥8 cm in diameter of the extremities and body wall received 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (mesna, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine) and preoperative RT (44 grays administered in split courses), and 3 cycles of postoperative chemotherapy (mesna, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine).

Sixty-four of 66 patients were analyzed. After chemotherapy and RT, 61 patients had surgery; 58 had R0 resections (5 amputations), and 3 had R1 resections. Ninety-seven percent experienced grade 3 or higher toxicity, including 3 deaths. These toxicities were short term. With a median follow-up of 7.7 years in surviving patients, the 5-year rates of locoregional failure (including amputation), and distant metastasis were 22.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.8-32.6) and 28.1% (95% CI, 17.0-39.2). The most common site of metastasis was lung. Estimated 5-year rates of disease-free survival, distant disease-free survival, and overall survival were 56.1% (95% CI, 43.9-68.3), 64.1% (95% CI, 52.3-75.8), and 71.2% (95% CI, 60.0-82.5), respectively.

Although the toxicity was significant, it was limited in its course and for the most part resolved by 1 year. The long-term outcome was better than might be expected in such high-risk tumors.