Sarcomas subsequent to cranial irradiation.

The development of sarcoma subsequent to cranial irradiation is a rare but serious and potentially fatal event. We describe seven patients who had undergone cranial irradiation (range, 1600-6000 cGy) to treat their primary disease and who developed sarcomas within the irradiated field. The median time from radiation therapy to the development of a sarcoma was 8 years (range, 4 to 15 yr). Fibrosarcomas developed in four patients, and malignant fibrous histiocytomas developed in three. Despite aggressive treatment, the prognosis was poor; the median survival from the diagnosis of sarcoma was 19 months. Sarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a new lesion or a lesion that progresses several years after radiation therapy.