| Abstract: |
A 26 year-old male was referred to our unit because of a stage III soft tissue sarcoma in the shoulder girdle-axillary area and reduced forearm-distal arm strength. Imaging studies revealed that the tumor encompassed the axillary artery and brachial plexus. We chemoembolized it using vincristine, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (VAC) plus gel foam and performed limb salvage surgery (LSS) afterwards. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy (ifosfamide/mesna, adriamycin, and dacarbazine/MAID) and finally radiation therapy (RT; 6500 cGy total dose). Thirty-six months after the operation the patient remains free of disease, without local recurrence and excellent neurological recovery and functional rehabilitation. In stage III soft tissue sarcomas, especially in proximity with major nerve/arterial bundles, a multimodality approach is mandatory; chemoembolization is very effective in shrinking the tumor and defining its margins so as to make feasible a LSS. © 2009 Zerbinis Medical Publications. |
| Keywords: |
adult; treatment outcome; cancer surgery; limb salvage; unclassified drug; case report; doxorubicin; chemoembolization; adjuvant therapy; cancer radiotherapy; chemotherapy, adjuvant; radiotherapy, adjuvant; cancer staging; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; antineoplastic agent; neoplasm staging; dacarbazine; multiple cycle treatment; antineoplastic combined chemotherapy protocols; antineoplastic agents, phytogenic; cyclophosphamide; vincristine; sarcoma; adjuvant chemotherapy; needle biopsy; antineoplastic agents, alkylating; soft tissue sarcoma; arteriography; antibiotics, antineoplastic; embolization, therapeutic; soft tissue neoplasms; gelfoam; ifosfamide plus mesna; arm weakness; radial nerve palsy; shoulder girdle
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