The following is a summary of “Clinical features of patients with carcinoma soft tissue metastases as surgical indications: a retrospective cohort study,” published in the May 2024 issue of Oncology by Morinaga et al.
Soft-tissue metastasis of carcinoma presents a rare phenomenon, prompting an exploration into its clinical manifestations and surgical considerations. In this retrospective cohort study, the researchers scrutinized 26 cases of soft tissue carcinoma metastasis referred to the department for treatment. Comprehensive documentation encompassed patient demographics, tumor characteristics, diagnostic evaluations including serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and MRI examinations, prior diagnoses by treating physicians, carcinoma markers in the blood, metastatic history, performance status (PS), and surgical interventions. The analysis revealed a diverse spectrum of primary cancer origins, predominantly originating from the lung, kidney, esophagus, and various other sites.
Notably, the mean CRP level across all cases was recorded at 2.3 mg/dL. Intriguingly, a considerable proportion of tumors initially suspected to be soft tissue metastases by referring physicians were alternatively diagnosed as soft tissue sarcomas or inflammatory lesions. Additionally, the majority of patients exhibited concomitant metastases, further underscoring the systemic nature of the disease. Of particular interest was surgical intervention pursued in a subset of patients, with notable associations observed between the decision for surgery and prior diagnosis of soft tissue metastasis by referring physicians, as well as favorable patient PS. These findings elucidate the nuanced landscape of surgical indications for soft tissue metastasis of carcinoma, emphasizing the pivotal roles of diagnostic accuracy and patient performance status in therapeutic decision-making.
Source: bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12885-024-12350-2
