[Contribution of surgical margin for surgical outcome of the chest wall tumors]

We present here our institutional review of surgical treatment for the chest wall tumors. Chest wall resections were performed on 80 patients, and subsequent chest wall reconstructions were performed on 45 patients. Primary malignant tumors in the chest wall required more extensive rib resections combined with the neighboring structures such as the sternum and the vertebral bones than benign or metastatic/recurrent tumors did. Postoperative mortality and morbidity occurred in 5 patients who underwent the sternal resection and the rib resection combined with the vertebral bodies. Primary malignant tumors in the chest wall are sarcomas originating from the bones, the cartilage tissues, and the soft tissues of the chest wall. We general thoracic surgeons may not have expertise in treating sarcomas,because primary malignant chest wall tumors are rare and a single institution has limited experiences in surgical treatment of such tumors. We should be aware that a surgical margin of primary malignant chest wall tumors is important to achieve excellent local control and better prognosis. We recommend cooperation with an orthopedic oncologist who is experienced with treating sarcomas. Not only preoperative planning but also intraoperative evaluation for the surgical margin with orthopedic oncologists is necessary for better surgical outcome.