Surgery in reference centers improves survival of sarcoma patients: a nationwide study

• Published in: Annals of oncology Vol. 30; no. 7; pp. 1143 - 1153
• Main Authors: Blay, J.-Y., Honoré, C., Stoeckle, E., Meeus, P., Jafari, M., Gouin, F., Anract, P., Ferron, G., Rochwerger, A., Ropars, M., Carrere, S., Marchal, F., Sirveaux, F., Di Marco, A., Le Nail, L.R., Guiramand, J., Vaz, G., Machiavello, J.-C., Marco, O., Causeret, S., Gimbergues, P., Fiorenza, F., Chaigneau, L., Guillemin, F., Guilloit, J.-M., Dujardin, F., Spano, J.-P., Ruzic, J.-C., Michot, A., Soibinet, P., Bompas, E., Chevreau, C., Duffaud, F., Rios, M., Perrin, C., Firmin, N., Bertucci, F., Le Pechoux, C., Le Loarer, F., Collard, O., Karanian-Philippe, M., Brahmi, M., Dufresne, A., Dupré, A., Ducimetière, F., Giraud, A., Pérol, D., Toulmonde, M., Ray-Coquard, I., Italiano, A., Le Cesne, A., Penel, N., Bonvalot, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2019; Oxford University Press; Elsevier
• Series: Annals of oncology . official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cancer; Editor's Choice; Female; Follow-Up Studies; France - epidemiology; Human health and pathology; Humans; Life Sciences; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - mortality; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - pathology; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - surgery; Original; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; reference center; Referral and Consultation - statistics & numerical data; Registries; relapse; resection; sarcoma; Sarcoma - mortality; Sarcoma - pathology; Sarcoma - surgery; surgery; Surgical Procedures, Operative - standards; Surgical Procedures, Operative - statistics & numerical data; survival; Survival Rate; Young Adult; France; reference center; sarcoma; relapse; resection; survival; surgery
• ISSN: 0923-7534; 1569-8041
• DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdz124

NETSARC (netsarc.org) is a network of 26 sarcoma reference centers with specialized multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTB) aiming to improve the outcome of sarcoma patients. Since 2010, presentation to an MDTB and expert pathological review are mandatory for sarcoma patients nationwide. In the present work, the impact of surgery in a reference center on the survival of sarcoma patients investigated using this national NETSARC registry.
Patients’ characteristics and follow-up are prospectively collected and data monitored. Descriptive, uni- and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors were conducted in the entire series (N=35784) and in the subgroup of incident patient population (N=29497).
Among the 35784 patients, 155 different histological subtypes were reported. 4310 (11.6%) patients were metastatic at diagnosis. Previous cancer, previous radiotherapy, neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and Li–Fraumeni syndrome were reported in 12.5%, 3.6%, 0.7%, and 0.1% of patients respectively. Among the 29497 incident patients, 25851 (87.6%) patients had surgical removal of the sarcoma, including 9949 (33.7%) operated in a NETSARC center. Location, grade, age, size, depth, histotypes, gender, NF1, and surgery outside a NETSARC center all correlated to overall survival (OS), local relapse free survival (LRFS), and event-free survival (EFS) in the incident patient population. NF1 history was one of the strongest adverse prognostic factors for LRFS, EFS, and OS. Presentation to an MDTB was associated with an improved LRFS and EFS, but was an adverse prognostic factor for OS if surgery was not carried out in a reference center. In multivariate analysis, surgery in a NETSARC center was positively correlated with LRFS, EFS, and OS [P<0.001 for all, with a hazard ratio of 0.681 (95% CI 0.618–0.749) for OS].
This nationwide registry of sarcoma patients shows that surgical treatment in a reference center reduces the risk of relapse and death.