High grade leiomyosarcoma of the transverse colon with positive lymph node metastasis: to treat or not to treat with adjuvant radiation therapy?

Abstract

Intra-abdominal leiomyosarcomas (LMSs) are aggressive malignant tumours arising from smooth muscle cells. These neoplasms are extremely rare and account for 10%–20% of primary soft tissue sarcomas and approximately 0.1% of all colorectal malignancies. Intra-abdominal LMS has a very poor prognosis with an estimated 5-year survival rate between 20% and 50% and the size of the tumour being the main determinant of prognosis. Treatment is further complicated by different anatomic variants with differing clinical behaviours impacting prognosis. Newer techniques in radiation treatment such as intensity-modulated, intraoperative electron and proton beam radiotherapies allow for cases with high probability of local recurrence or likelihood of residual microscopic disease after surgical resection to be treated with precise radiation doses to the targeted tumour volume. We present a case of high grade LMS of the distal transverse colon with positive lymph node metastasis treated by surgical excision followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and discuss the current role of radiotherapy.