Background: The number of people living with soft-tissue and bone sarcomas is increasing due to improved individual therapy and changes in demographics. At present, there are no recommendations for psychological cotreatment, occupational and social reintegration following the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas. Methods: Seventy-four patients, 42 males and 32 females, aged between 18 and 80 years (54.58 ± 16.99 yr.) with soft-tissue (62) and bone sarcomas (12) were included to answer five standardized and one personal questionnaire regarding quality of life, function, reintegration and participation after surgical treatment. Results: A number of tumour-specific and patient-specific factors were identified that affected the therapeutic outcome. Patients with sarcoma of the lower extremity described poorer mobility. Patients who underwent amputation reported a higher anxious preoccupation. Patients with a higher range of education were less fatalistic and avoiding. The size of tumours or additive radiation therapy did not affect the post-therapeutic quality of life, coping and function. There was a good correlation between anxiety and depression with occupational reintegration, function, quality of life and coping. Conclusion: Patients with sarcomas of the lower limb have a higher demand for postoperative rehabilitation and need more help in the postoperative occupational reintegration. Furthermore patients that underwent limb-preserving operations reported better postoperative function and quality of life. Risk assessment using patient-specific factors and an intensive psychological co-treatment may have a large role in the co-treatment of patients from the beginning of their cancer therapy.

Desmoid tumors are fibroblastic neoplasms that have an intermediate behavior with a highly aggressive infiltrative growth arising from deep muscle or aponeurosis. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman that developed a painless mass in the right popliteal fossa during pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection and hormonal therapy. The MRI scan showed a hyperintense mass of 6,7 cm × 4,7 cm × 3,8 cm surrounding the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle. The open biopsy was done one week after delivery, and the histology showed a desmoid tumor. We performed the resection one week later and found the common peroneal nerve completely surrounded by the tumor. The close resection due to the neurolysis was the reason why an adjuvant radiation with 56 Gy was done. The last clinical examination, 18 month later, did not show any signs of recurrence and an excellent functional outcome. This case demonstrates the possible influences of pregnancy and hormonal therapy on the evolution of desmoid tumors.

With the increasing use of next-generation sequencing, highly effective targeted therapies have been emerging as treatment options for several cancer types. Recurrent gene-fusions have been recognized in sarcomas; however, options for targeted therapy remain scarce. Here, we describe a case of a sarcoma, associated with a RET::TRIM33-fusion gene with an exceptional response to a neoadjuvant therapy with the selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib. Resected tumor revealed subtotal histopathologic response. This is the first report of successful targeted therapy with selpercatinib in RET-fusion-associated sarcomas. As new targeted therapies are under development, similar treatment options may become available for sarcoma patients.

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