Prognostic factors and outcome of Liposarcoma patients: a retrospective evaluation over 15 years

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue sarcomas are rare entities with over 50 histological subtypes. Liposarcoma (LS) is the most common neoplasm in this group; it is a complex neoplasm that is divided into different histological subtypes. Different therapy options, such as surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy, are available. Depending on the subtype, location, status of the resection margins and metastatic status, different therapy options are used. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prognostic factors influencing the survival of patients affected by LS with consideration for the grading, histological subtype, state of the resection margin, size, location, metastases and local recurrence in a retrospective, single-centre analysis over 15 years. METHODS: We included 133 patients (male/female = 67/66) in this study. We recorded the histologic subtype, grade, TNM classification, localization, biopsy technique, tumour margins, number of operations, complications, radiation and dose, chemotherapy, survival, recrudescence, metastases and follow-up. Survivorship analysis was performed. RESULTS: We detected 56 (43%; 95%-CI 34.6–51.6%) atypical LS cases, 21 (16.2%; 95%-CI 9.8–22.5) dedifferentiated LS cases, 40 (30.8%; 95%-CI 22.8–38.7) myxoid LS cases and 12 (9.2%; 95%-CI 4.3–14.2) pleomorphic LS cases. G1 was the most common grade, which was followed by G3. Negative margins (R0) were detected in 67 cases (53.6%; 95%-CI 44.9–62.3) after surgical resection. Local recurrence was detected in 23.6% of cases. The presence of metastases and dedifferentiated LS subtype as well as negative margins, grade and tumour size are significant prognostic factors of the survival rates (p < 0.015). CONCLUSION: Grading, LS subtype, negative margins after surgery, metastases and tumour size are independently associated with disease-specific survival, and patients with local recurrence had lower survival rates. We hope our investigation may facilitate a further prospective study and clinical decision-making in LS.