Our purpose was to assess the role of preoperative radio-therapy +/− neoadjuvant chemotherapy in nonmetastatic soft tissue sarcoma of extremities for limb-sparing surgery and identify the role of neoadjuvant therapies on local control and survival rate.

Forty-seven patients with soft tissue sarcoma of extremities who were treated at Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty within a limb salvage protocol, including preoperative radiotherapy +/− chemotherapy were retrospectively analized. Median age was 45 years (17–72 years). The tumor size was between 5–33 cm. Seventeen patients were in stage I, 11 in stage II, 19 in stage III. The most common histology was synovial sarcoma. Nine patients were treated for locally recurrent tumour. The tumour and surrounding tissues with probable microscopic tumour involvement observed clinically and radiologically, were irradiated. Thirty-two patients, with a high grade tumour and/or tumours larger than 8 cm, also received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen was consisted of doxorubicine and ifosphamide with mesna. Preoperative radiotherapy was applied, usually between the second and third cycles of chemotherapy. Definitive surgery was administered 2–6 weeks after radiotherapy or after the third cycle of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was completed to 6 courses after the surgery. Postoperative external beam radio-therapy boost of 16 Gy was given who had close or positive surgical margins. Median follow-up time was 67 months (12–217 months). All of the patients had limb-sparing surgery. Patients had; 30 marginal excision, 13 wide local excision, 4 radical resection. Nine patients locally recurred. Limb-sparing surgery was performed for 8 patients. 25 patients had distant metastases. Metastasectomy were applied for 10 patients with lung metastasis. The 5-year local control, disease free survival and overall survival rates were 82.3%, 50.1% and 67.2%, respectively.

Preoperative radiotherapy +/− chemotherapy seems to increase the chance of extremity-sparing surgery with good local control and the survival rates which were comparable with the literature.

Haemangioendothelioma of bone is a rare intermediate grade malignancy. Because of its rareness there is a lack of information in the literature about the well established treatment strategies depending on series with large numbers. The outcome of wide resection with postoperative external irradiation would be presented.

4 patients (2 females, 2 males) with a mean age of 40.5 (26–52) with solitary haemangioendothelioma of bone admitted with local pain on the affected bone and limited restriction of function. Anatomical sites were scapula, calcaneum, midshaft of radius and metaphysodiaphyseal region of femur. Plain X-ray, CT, MRI, Tc 99 tecnetium wholebody bone scan investigations were applied. All lesions were hot on bone scan and lytic irregular permeative lesions T1 hypo, T2 hyper with gadolinium enhancement were present. Open biopsy resulted with the diagnosis of intermediate haemangioendothelioma of bone. Wide resection of tubular bones and intercalary lyophilised allograft recostruction with IM rod and cerclage wire and total calcaneum resection and allograft replacement with talar arthrodesis, total scapulectomy subsequent autoclaved bone reimplantation were the surgical procedures applied. Mean follow-up was 96 months (40–132). Three patients except scapula case received 50 Gy external irradiation. No patient developed local recurrence in the follow up. Regarding complications calcaneum patient developed skin necrosis after the irradiation which led to removal of the allograft but eventually healed. Scapula patient had late infection treated by antibiotics. All patients had satisfactory function. Intercalary allografts united in 6 months time. Calcaneum patient developed multiple small lung metastasis 1 year after the operation and treated by adriamycin based chemotherapy and interpherone. The lung lesions showed slight regression but the patient is alive since 112 months with no further relapse.

Wide excision with subsequent irradiation and wide excision of total scapula resulted with no local recurrence in our small group of patients with this rare malignancy. Irradiation provided relatively less soft tissue sacrification and a sufficient local tumour control without risking the patient to an impending amputation in the occurence of local recurrence.