A retrospective cohort study to assess adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) compared to adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in the treatment of grade 2 and 3 extremity soft tissue sarcomas.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) as treatment of grade 2 and 3 (G2-3) localized extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS) by comparing CCRT with standard adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). Patients and methods This monocentric retrospective study included non-pediatric patients (>16 years) treated by adjuvant RT with or without chemotherapy (CT) after conservative resection of non-recurrent G2-3 extremity STS. Results A total of 80 patients were treated between 1990 and 2012: 51 by RT and 29 by CCRT. Of the 29 CCRT patients, 25 received doxorubicin monotherapy (75 mg/m 2 /3 weeks). The CCRT group contained a greater proportion of grade 3 extremity STS ( p p  = 0.0572). Conclusion CCRT could improve local control as part of a limb-preservation strategy. However, with a limited number of patients, CCRT showed no improvement in either distant control or survival and increased toxicity.