Incidence, Treatment and Outcome of Patients with Retroperitoneal Soft-Tissue Sarcoma in Switzerland 2005–2015: A Population-Based Analysis

Background Reports on the epidemiology and mortality of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma (RSTS) in Switzerland are scarce. This study investigates the incidence and outcomes of surgically treated RSTS inpatients in Switzerland depending on the hospital type and size. Methods Data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office were used to conduct a retrospective analysis of all RSTS inpatients and hospitalizations in Switzerland between 2005 and 2015. RSTS was identified by the code C48.x of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Sarcoma centers were identified by the annual total number of sarcoma patients (> 50 patients/year). The analysis of yearly incidence, age distribution as well as in-hospital complication and mortality was performed for non- and surgical-treated patients. A centralization of treating sarcoma patients was analyzed by the trend of hospitalizations in sarcoma centers and high-volume hospitals. Results During 2005–2015, 2.801 hospitalizations (1651 patients) were admitted to Swiss hospitals with the primary diagnosis of a RSTS. The yearly number of RSTS patients and the incidence (1.91/100.000) stayed constant within these 11 years. There were five sarcoma centers. We saw a clear trend of RSTS patients being treated (especially surgically) in centers over the 11 years. The complication rate of surgical-treated patients was higher in sarcoma centers (55% vs. 40%), though the overall mortality rate was lower (3.2% vs. 9.1%). Conclusion Centralization of RSTS treatment to certified sarcoma centers leads to a lower overall mortality rate and thus is highly recommended.