Complications, secondary interventions and long term morbidity after en bloc sacrectomy.

Purpose: En bloc sacrectomy is a demanding surgical procedure to remove tumors from the sacrum. Comprehensive data on readmissions for complications endured months to years after initial discharge are scant. The purpose of this study is to present the long-term complications, readmissions and secondary interventions for patients having undergone en bloc sacrectomy.

Current pathology work-up of extremity soft tissue sarcomas, evaluation of the validity of different techniques.

Objective: In patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) a correct histopathological diagnosis is considered important before surgical treatment. We evaluated the preoperative use and sensitivity of the various pathology techniques.

Methods: In a population-based study in patients operated for a newly diagnosed extremity STS between January 2000 and December 2003 the preoperative pathology work-up was evaluated.

The role of APC and beta-catenin in the aetiology of aggressive fibromatosis (desmoid tumors).

Background: Aggressive fibromatosis (syn. desmoid tumor) is a sporadically occurring neoplastic proliferation of fibroblasts originating from musculoaponeurotic planes, forming invasively growing masses without the capability to metastasize. The choice of treatment remains surgical resection with or without radiotherapy, and is characterized by high recurrence rates.

Axillary recurrence rate after tumour negative and micrometastatic positive sentinel node procedures in breast cancer patients, a population based multicenter study.

Background: The sentinel lymph node procedure is a widely accepted method for staging of patients with early breast cancer. This study evaluates the incidence of axillary relapse after negative sentinel node biopsy in the seven hospitals in the central part of the Netherlands.

Methods: This study concerns all patients with a T1-2 breast carcinoma who were staged with a sentinel lymph node biopsy in one of the hospitals in the region.

Soft tissue sarcoma: the predominant primary malignancy in the retroperitoneum.

Purpose. In the clinical work-up of a retroperitoneal mass, the diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma is often not considered. Incidence rates of various malignant and benign retroperitoneal tumours were studied to determine the incidence of soft tissue sarcoma in comparison with other neoplasms in the retroperitoneal space.