Radiation therapy for soft tissue sarcoma

Based on the therapeutic results for 56 sites in 48 patients who underwent radiation therapy for soft tissue sarcoma, the effectiveness and applicability of radiation therapy for soft tissue sarcoma were examined. No difference among primary, recurred and metastasized sarcomas was observed for therapeutic effectiveness. However, there were differences among the three types of sarcomas according to the site of occurrence of sarcoma. Therapeutic results were unfaborable for sarcomas in bones or lungs. According to histological types, although radiation therapy was relatively effective for rhabdomyosarcoma, no sarcoma was radiocurable. No definitive correlation between radiation therapy and radiation dose or sarcoma size was observed. However, there were correlations among complications, radiation doses and the size of irradiated field. Soft tissue sarcomas were not cured by the usual doses less than 7,000 Rad (by which healthy tissues are not damaged). Radiation therapy only inhibited the regrowth of sarcoma for a year in many cases. (Namekawa, K.)