The investigation of demographic, clinical, and pathological characteristics of patients followed with a sarcoma diagnosis in the Medical Oncology Clinic

Sarcomas are heterogeneous tumors of mesenchymal origin, comprising less than 1% of all adult malignancies. Approximately 80% of cases are derived from soft tissue, while the remaining cases originate from bone. According to the World Health Organization classification, more than 100 distinct histological subtypes exist. Their diverse nature and rarity contribute to diagnostic challenges and result in limited therapeutic options. The objective of our study is to investigate the clinical, demographic, and pathological characteristics of patients diagnosed with soft tissue and bone sarcomas at the Department of Medical Oncology, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, between 2002 and 2022, and to compare these findings with existing literature. Given their rarity and heterogeneity, there is a limited body of clinical research on these malignancies, and our aim is to contribute to the literature through a comprehensive examination. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with sarcoma and followed at our clinic between January 2002 and January 2022. A total of 212 patient records with complete data were analyzed. The data were obtained from the medical oncology archives, the Trakya University Faculty of Medicine automation system, and patient files. Our findings revealed that, consistent with the literature, more than 80% of sarcoma patients in our clinic had soft tissue sarcomas. We observed that the incidence was 1.3 times higher in males compared to females. In both soft tissue and bone sarcomas, the lower extremities were the most commonly affected anatomical sites, and the predominant presenting complaint was a painless mass. Surgical excision was the primary treatment modality for the majority of patients. At the time of diagnosis, 18.87% of patients presented with metastatic disease, with the lungs being the most frequently involved site of metastasis. Anthracycline-based regimens are the most commonly utilized first-line treatments in sarcoma cases, and in our clinic, the combination regimen of doxorubicin and ifosfamide was most frequently administered, in line with current literature.