Cutaneous sarcoma: a review and practical approach to management

Sarcomas arising in the skin are rare but potentially fatal. These tumours originate from mesenchymal cells and can be divided between those that arise in soft tissue and those arising from bone. General guidelines exist for the management of soft-tissue sarcomas; however, there are no specific guidelines for cutaneous sarcomas. Current literature was reviewed for management of seven cutaneous sarcomas including atypical fibroxanthoma, pleomorphic dermal sarcoma, dermal and subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma, dermatofibroma sarcoma protuberans, Kaposi sarcoma, cutaneous angiosarcoma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour. All suspected sarcomas should be discussed in a sarcoma multidisciplinary team meeting. This article is not a clinical guideline but should serve as a practical summary of how these tumours present, how they are recognized histologically, and how best to manage and follow-up patients. The aim is to support clinicians and facilitate the best and most evidence-based standard of care available. Cutaneous sarcomas make up a rare but important part of the dermatologist's workload, we summarize all available evidence and put forward recommendations for management and follow-up of these tumours.

Automated summary

Cutaneous sarcomas are rare but potentially fatal tumors originating from mesenchymal cells in the skin. Guidelines for management exist for soft-tissue sarcomas, but not for cutaneous sarcomas. This review summarizes the available literature on management of seven different types of cutaneous sarcomas and aims to provide practical recommendations for their recognition, management, and follow-up. The goal is to support clinicians in providing the best evidence-based care for these rare but important tumors.