Improved Survival for Sarcomas of the Wrist and Hand

PurposeTo evaluate survival characteristics of malignant hand tumors compared with those occurring in other musculoskeletal locations over a 30-year period.MethodsPatients were identified through a computerized database maintained at the authors’ institution over the past 30 years. Each patient’s records were reviewed retrospectively. Diagnoses were categorized and survival data for patients with hand malignancies were compared with those of patients having similar tumors in other musculoskeletal sites by using multivariate statistical analysis.ResultsThe most common malignancies were epitheloid sarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Improved survival during the follow-up period was found for hand malignancies versus those occurring in other musculoskeletal sites as a whole, and this difference was statistically significant. No significant survival benefit was identified for individual tumors.ConclusionsPatients presenting with primary malignancies of the hand may survive longer than those with similar tumors in other musculoskeletal locationsType of study/level of evidencePrognostic, Level II.