What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated the outcomes of postoperative radiation therapy in 49 patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma.
What They Found
The 5-year overall survival rate was 62%, disease-free survival was 64%, local control was 68%, and freedom-from-distant metastasis was 85%. Local recurrences occurred in 13 patients, with over 75% happening within three years. A positive surgical margin correlated with local failure, with 39% of patients with positive margins experiencing recurrence compared to 9% of those with negative margins.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that postoperative radiotherapy can achieve good long-term outcomes for patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma, including high rates of local control and survival. The findings emphasize the importance of achieving negative surgical margins to reduce the risk of local recurrence, which could inform treatment planning for Canadian patients facing this rare cancer.
Canadian Relevance
While this study is not Canadian, the treatment modality of postoperative radiotherapy for malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a recognized cancer treatment in Canada.
Study Limitations
This retrospective study's limitations include its small sample size of 49 patients, its single-institution design, and the fact that the data was collected between 1974 and 1989.