Pelvic exenteration and sphincter preservation in the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas

Background Pelvic sarcomas are rare and there are very few effective therapeutic alternatives. A complete resection is considered the main factor associated to a good prognosis, which justifies the employment of a pelvic exenteration (PE) in selected cases. Methods Between 1980 and 2000, 96 PE were performed, nine of which were for sarcomas. The clinical characteristics, surgical and anatomopathological aspects and the patientsʹ evolution were described. Results The median follow-up time was 24 months (ranging from 1 to 57 months). In relation to the sphincters preservation, at least one sphincter was preserved in five patients. There were two post-operative deaths. In the last follow-up, six patients were alive without any evidence of the disease. Conclusion Pelvic exenterations should be performed for the treatment of selected cases of locally advanced pelvic sarcomas. Sphincter preservation may be performed, provided that oncological resection principles are obeyed.