Current treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.

arcomas are rare tumors, representing only 0.8% of new cancers in the United States. Seventy-six percent arise in soft tissue, with the remainder arising in bone (1). The most common soft tissue type is malignant fibrous histiosarcoma, although this has fallen out of favor recently as a distinct histologic entity (2, 3). Multiple types of soft tissue sarcomas are defined based on the tissue of origin (Table 1). Of those occurring in the soft tissue, most present in the extremities. The relative overall frequency of locations are thigh, buttock, and groin, 46%; torso, 18%; upper extremity, 13%; retroperitoneal, 13%; and head and neck, 9% (1). The most frequent presentation is as an asymptomatic mass. These tumors can present late, especially in the thigh or pelvic regions (3).