TY  - BOOK
AU  - Magesa, Fikiri. Simon 
AU  - Rambau, Peter
AU  - Washington, Leonard
AU  - Likonda, Beda. Mnamala
TI  - Clinicopathological Patterns and Short Term Surgical Outcomes of Soft Tissue Malignancies of the Trunk, Abdomino-Pelvic Cavity and Extremities at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania
PY  - 2021///
CY  - Mwanza, Tanzania:  
PB  - Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences [CUHAS – Bugando]
KW  -  
N2  - Abstract:

Background: Soft tissue malignancies are heterogeneous group of neoplasm which present a challenge in management, ranging from diagnosis to treatment and recovery. The challenges is even more conspicuous in resource limited setting where late presentation coupled with limited availability of modern diagnostic and therapeutic facilities are among the hallmarks of the disease. This study describes the cliniopathological patterns and short term surgical outcomes of soft tissue malignancies of the trunk, abdomino-pelvic cavity and extremities at Bugando Medical Centre.

Methods: This was a combined retrospective and prospective study of histopathological confirmed cases of soft tissue malignancies of the trunk, abdomino-pelvic cavity and extremities that was conducted at Bugando Medical Centre from June 2017 to May 2021.

Results: A total of 305 patients were studied. The male to female ratio was 1.2:1. The median age of patients at presentation was 38 years. Extremities were the most frequent anatomical site involved in 58.7% of cases. The swelling was described as painless in majority (60.3%) of the patients. The tumor size was greater than 10cm in most (43.6%) of cases. The majority of tumors (77.0%) were deep-seated lesions. Most patients presented with advanced clinical stage III in 50.5% of cases. Kaposi’s sarcoma was the most common histopathological tumor in 80(26.2%) patients and more than half of patients (53.8%) had high grade. A total of 209 (68.5%) patients underwent surgical procedures for soft tissue malignancies. Wide local excision was the most frequent performed surgical procedure, accounting for 36.4% of cases. Complications and mortality rates were 58.4% and 3.3%, respectively. Tumor size > 10cm (p< 0.001), deep seated tumor (p < 0.001) and tumor grade (p < 0.001) were the main predictors of post-operative complications.

Conclusion: Soft tissue malignancies are not uncommon at Bugando Medical Centre and show a trend towards a relative young age at diagnosis and the majority of patients present late which advanced stage cancer. Therefore, public enlightenment, early diagnosis, and actual cost-effective treatment and follow-up are directly needed to improve outcomes of these patients in our environment.

ER  -