Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) usually present as solid masses, generally surrounded by a pseudocapsule of variable thickness in continuity with the surrounding normal tissues. The mainstay of sarcoma treatment is surgery, whose aim is to resect the tumor surrounded by healthy tissue while avoiding positive surgical margins. Despite an optimal surgery, patients operated for STS remain at risk for tumor recurrence, both locally or at distant sites. The quality of the surgical margins is the main determinant of the risk of local recurrence (LR), together with tumor grade and histological subtype.  Our research, through a collaboration with the IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (MI) and with the Transatlantic retroperitoneal sarcoma working group (TARPSWG) mostly focuses on:

- management of desmoid tumors (with a particular focus on patients at higher risk of progression i.e. tumor progression during pregnancy)
- definition of optimal follow up among patients undergoing surgery for retroperitoneal and extremity sarcoma
- definition of oncological outcome among patients undergoing major vascular resection for retroperitoneal sarcoma
- definition of clinical and molecular predictors of recurrence

Publications:

Spolverato G, Capelli G, Kasper B, Gounder M. Management of Desmoid Tumors. Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2022 Jul;31(3):447-458. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2022.03.008. Epub 2022 May 31. PMID: 35715144.

Baia M, Ford SJ, Dumitra S, Samà L, Naumann DN, Spolverato G, Callegaro D. Follow-up of patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2022 Mar 4:S0748-7983(22)00093-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ejso.2022.02.016. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35277304.

Spolverato G, Chiminazzo V, Lorenzoni G, Fiore M, Radaelli S, Sanfilippo R, Sangalli C, Barisella M, Callegaro D, Gronchi A. Oncological outcomes after major vascular resections for primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2021 Dec;47(12):3004-3010. doi: 10.1016/j.ejso.2021.06.035. Epub 2021 Jul 2. PMID: 34364722.

Spolverato G, Callegaro D, Gronchi A. Defining Which Patients Are at High Risk for Recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2020 May 27;21(7):56. doi: 10.1007/s11864-020-00753-9. PMID: 32462511.

People involved:

Prof. Pucciarelli Salvatore, MD (Full Professor)
Prof.ssa Gaya Spolverato, MD (Associate Professor)