Soft tissue sarcoma of the upper extremity.

Soft tissue sarcomas of the upper extremities are rare and hand surgeons typically encounter only one or two undiagnosed soft tissue sarcomas during their careers. It is incumbent on the physician to review repeatedly the characteristics of these tumors and remain suspicious, because these lesions typically are misdiagnosed and treatment is delayed. The most common soft tissue sarcomas of the upper extremity are the epithelioid sarcoma, synovial cell sarcoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Limb salvage surgery is the treatment of choice for soft tissue sarcomas to preserve upper extremity function. Following wide tumor resection, adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy, external beam radiation therapy, and brachytherapy may lessen local recurrence rates, but their effect on overall survival remains unclear.