A third prognostic variable for soft tissue sarcomas is the size of the lesion. The size cut-off is somewhat arbitrary, but small is considered less than 5 cm to 8 cm in most studies. This is measured as the single largest dimension of the mass. The fourth prognostic variable is the depth of the lesion. The methods used for local control of soft tissue sarcomas include surgical resection or amputation, radiation therapy or a combination of both.
Systemic control includes the use of intravenous chemotherapy.
The use of adjuvant chemotherapy for nonmetastatic soft tissue sarcomas is controversial because it has not been shown to be very effective in improving survival and is associated with a significant patient morbidity and cost. The author is assistant professor of orthopaedics and pathology at the lndiana University Medical Center. 702 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202-5215. Size, site and clinical incidence of lipoma. A consecutive 7- year series of 1,331 benign soft tissue tumours.