Journal Article DKFZ-2025-01684

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Recurrence Patterns After Resection of Sacral Chordoma: Toward an Optimized Postoperative Target Volume Definition.

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2025
MDPI Basel

Cancers 17(15), 2521 () [10.3390/cancers17152521]
 GO

Abstract: Background: Postoperative recurrence of sacrococcygeal chordomas presents significant clinical challenges due to unusual recurrence patterns. This study aimed to characterize these patterns of recurrence to inform improved adjuvant radiotherapy planning. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 31 patients with recurrent sacrococcygeal chordoma following surgery, assessing recurrence locations considering initial tumor extent, resection levels, and postoperative anatomical changes on MRI. In 18 patients, pre- and postoperative imaging enabled the spatial mapping of early recurrence origins relative to the initial tumor volume using isotropic expansions. The median initial gross tumor volume was 113 mL. Results: Recurrences were mostly multifocal and predominantly involved soft tissues (e.g., mesorectal/perirectal space (80.6%), piriformis and gluteal muscles (80.6% and 67.7%, respectively) and osseous structures, particularly the sacrum (87.1%)). The median time to recurrence was 15 months. The initial surgery was R0 in 17 patients (55%). The highest infiltrated sacral vertebra was S1 in 3%, S2 in 10%, S3 in 35%, S4 in 23%, S5 in 10%, and coccygeal in 19%. Anatomical changes post-resection, including rectal herniation into gluteal and subcutaneous tissues, significantly affected radiotherapy planning. Expansion of the initial tumor volume by 2 cm failed to encompass all recurrence origins in 72% of cases. A 5 cm expansion was required to achieve full coverage in 56% of patients, though 22% of recurrences still lay beyond this margin and the remaining were covered only partially. Conclusions: Recurrent sacrococcygeal chordomas exhibit complex, soft-tissue-dominant patterns and are influenced by significant anatomical displacement post-surgery. Standard target volume expansions are often insufficient to cover the predominantly multifocal recurrences.

Keyword(s): carbon ions ; protons ; radiotherapy ; recurrence patterns ; sacrectomy ; sacrococcygeal chordoma

Classification:

Contributing Institute(s):
  1. E050 KKE Strahlentherapie (E050)
  2. DKTK HD zentral (HD01)
Research Program(s):
  1. 315 - Bildgebung und Radioonkologie (POF4-315) (POF4-315)

Appears in the scientific report 2025
Database coverage:
Medline ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection
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 Record created 2025-08-14, last modified 2025-08-15



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