Surgical management of retroperitoneal tumours: A 12-year review: Retroperitoneal tumour

Background:  The aim of the present study was to determine the long-term outcome of patients who had undergone resection of retroperitoneal tumours. Methods:  This was a retrospective review of 44 patients with preoperative diagnoses of retroperitoneal tumours, who had resections carried out between April 1996 and June 2008 at our institution. Results:  Forty-four patients at our hospital underwent resection with curative intent for retroperitoneal tumours. Eight patients developed recurrences, and reoperations were carried out in these patients. Merely 23.1% of the patients underwent fine-needle aspiration, and of those patients, just 15.4% received the correct diagnosis for their retroperitoneal tumour. Liposarcoma was the most common tumour (31.1%). The overall mean largest diameter of the retroperitoneal tumours was 13.4 ± 8.8 cm, and the median largest diameter was 11.0 cm (range: 2–43 cm). No significant difference was found between the mean largest diameters of benign and malignant tumours (P = 0.08). Simultaneous surgical resection of adjacent organs was required in 46.1% of the patients. The overall survival at 5 years for patients with liposarcomas, other malignancies and benign tumours was 20%, 50% and 100%, respectively. The disease-free survival at 5 years for patients with liposarcomas was zero (P = 0.013), whereas, for other retroperitoneal malignancies and benign tumours, the disease free survival at 5 years was 38% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion:  Surgical management of retroperitoneal tumours often requires a multidisciplinary approach. Long-term survival rates for patients with liposarcomas are relatively poor, and recurrences after surgical resection are common.