Electrochemotherapy for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma in a rat model.

Each year approximately 6000 new cases of soft tissue sarcoma are diagnosed in the United States (1). The disease affects the extremities in 60% of the reported cases with the lower extremity the most likely tumor site (2,3). Management of soft tissue sarcomas is challenging but over the last 20 yr treatment has evolved from radical procedures such as amputation or compartmental resection to limb-sparing approaches (4,5). However, current limb sparing procedures are not applicable to all adult soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity. Limb sparing techniques are not employed when tumors are located close to joints, bone, or neurovascular bundles (6).