September 1, 2006CA A Cancer Journal for Clinicians138 citationsOpen Access
View Full PaperStaging Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Evolution and Change
Key Result
The current AJCC staging system for soft tissue sarcoma includes Tumor, Grade, Node, and Metastasis, with future evolution anticipated to incorporate molecular considerations.
Structured PICO
P
Population
Patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS)
This review highlights the current AJCC staging system for soft tissue sarcoma and anticipates future improvements incorporating molecular considerations.
Abstract
Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is an extremely heterogeneous group of rare tumors that share a putative mesenchymal cell origin. STS can occur in any soft tissue in the body, yet all share a common feature of primarily disseminating hematogenously, particularly to the lungs. Staging for STS is particularly useful in prognosis, design of effective multimodality treatment programs, and comparing treatment outcomes from different centers and different eras. The current iteration of AJCC STS staging includes Tumor, Grade, Node, and Metastasis with "a" indicating superficial and "b" indicating deep designations. Further opportunities to improve this process exist, particularly as molecular considerations become more apparent, and future evolution into an even more useful STS staging system can be anticipated.