Surgical management of truncal soft tissue sarcoma and other selected soft tissue neoplasms

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a heterogeneous entity comprising only 1% of all adult cancers that has received considerable attention since it was initially described after the 1st century as “fleshy” by Claudius Galenus. Nick-named the forgotten cancer, more than 100 histologic subtypes have been identified making treatment paradigms extremely complex. A key principle in the management of truncal STS is a defined multi-disciplinary team consisting of several providers. In most instances, surgery is the cornerstone of treatment. This overview will focus on the management of truncal sarcoma from a surgical perspective that will entail several points of consideration including histologic subtype, degree of differentiation, margin status as well as necessity of reconstruction; it will also include discussion of other unique soft tissue neoplasms relevant to the breast and abdominal wall.