Brachytherapy for Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Maintaining Local Control While Minimizing Complications.

Background: This study aims to assess the clinical and oncologic outcomes of high-dose brachytherapy (BRT) versus both preoperative and postoperative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in the setting of high-grade soft tissue sarcoma.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 144 patients treated surgically for soft tissue sarcoma at the same institution from 2010 to 2021. Patients treated for a soft tissue sarcoma with surgery and radiation therapy in the form of BRT, Neoadjuvant EBRT (Neo-EBRT) or adjuvant EBRT (AD-EBRT) were included.

Results: 56 patients were treated with BRT, 42 with Neo-EBRT, and 46 with AD-EBRT. There was a greater incidence of grouped wound complications in Neo-EBRT with 50% compared to both BRT with 25% and AD-EBRT with 28.3% (p = 0.02). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that there was an increased risk of wound complications with Neo-EBRT when compared to brachytherapy (p = 0.03 and p = 0.007, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that there was no difference in risk of LR between treatment groups (p = 0.28).

Conclusion: Brachytherapy is a valuable treatment modality that offers clinical and logistical advantages when compared to the conventional Neo-EBRT in soft tissue sarcomas. Brachytherapy offers a lower risk of wound complications and a comparable local control. This manuscript presents decision-making strategies for determining the appropriate radiation modality for specific circumstances.