Surgical Management of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in the Geriatric Population

The management of soft tissue sarcomas in the elderly ­population requires a multidisciplinary approach. These rare tumors have a wide range of growth patterns and metastatic potential, much of which can be discerned by the pathologic subtype. Increasing age alone has repeatedly been demonstrated to have a negative impact on death from this disease. While surgery continues to be the primary treatment for ­sarcomas, radiation and chemotherapy have selective utility. The benefits of an aggressive approach must be weighed against the morbidity of treatment, particularly in the ­geriatric population.