Role of surgery in the management of postmastectomy extremity angiosarcoma (Stewart-Treves syndrome)

• Published in: Journal of surgical oncology 2000-03, Vol.73 (3), p.182-188
• Main Authors: Grobmyer, Stephen R., Daly, John M., Glotzbach, Raymond E., Grobmyer III, Albert J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Amputation - statistics & numerical data; Arm; Biological and medical sciences; Combined Modality Therapy; drug therapy; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; hemangiosarcoma; Hemangiosarcoma - mortality; Hemangiosarcoma - surgery; Hemangiosarcoma - therapy; Humans; lymphedema; Lymphedema - surgery; Mammary gland diseases; Mastectomy; Medical sciences; postoperative complications; Postoperative Period; radiotherapy; Skin Neoplasms - mortality; Skin Neoplasms - surgery; Skin Neoplasms - therapy; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the genital tract and mammary gland; Survival Analysis; Tumors
• ISSN: 0022-4790; 1096-9098
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9098(200003)73:3<182::AID-JSO14>3.0.CO;2-N

Stewart‐Treves syndrome (STS) is the rare occurrence of angiosarcoma in a setting of postmastectomy upper extremity lymphedema. A collective comparison of outcomes following various initial treatment options in STS has not previously been reported. We reviewed 160 cases of STS reported in the literature since 1966. We analyzed the relationship between initial treatment and survival in all 92 of these patients for whom detailed treatment and outcome data had been reported. There was no significant difference in survival comparing those initially treated with wide excision (n = 16) and those treated with amputation (n = 45) (P = 0.40). Even in the setting of initial surgical treatment, overall long‐term survival was poor (