Surgery for soft tissue sarcoma in the extremities and trunk wall

Surgical advances over the last twenty years have increased the rate of local control of soft tissue sarcoma from 70 to 80 %. However, the management of soft tissue sarcoma, especially initial treatment, remains inadequate outside specialized treatment centres. This paper discusses how to minimize diagnostic errors and perform biopsies. Soft tissue sarcoma surgery requires careful planning and must be integrated into a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach. A "whoops" excision can compromise a patient's prognosis. The quality of surgery is best evaluated by the UICC residual disease (R) system, which helps to adapt complementary treatments.