What Is the Significance of Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules in High-Grade Soft Tissue Sarcomas? A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Sarcomas are rare, aggressive cancers which frequently metastasise to the lungs. Following diagnosis, patients typically undergo staging by means of a CT scan of their chest. This often identifies indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs), but the significance of these in high-grade soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is unclear. Identifying whether these are benign or malignant is important for clinical decision making. This study analyses the clinical relevance of IPNs in high-grade STS.

Methods: All patients treated at our centre for high-grade soft tissue sarcoma between 2010 and 2020 were identified from a prospective database. CT scans and their reports were reviewed, and survival data were collected from patient records.

Results: 389 suitable patients were identified; 34.4% had IPNs on their CT staging scan and 20.1% progressed into lung metastases. Progression was more likely with IPNs ≥ 5 mm in diameter ( = 0.006), multiple IPNs ( = 0.013) or bilateral IPNs ( = 0.022), as well as in patients with primaries ≥ 5 cm ( = 0.014), grade 3 primaries ( = 0.009) or primaries arising deep to the fascia ( = 0.041). The median time to progression was 143 days. IPNs at diagnosis were associated with an increased risk of developing lung metastases and decreased OS in patients with grade 3 STS ( = 0.0019 and = 0.0016, respectively); this was not observed in grade 2 patients.

Conclusions: IPNs at diagnosis are associated with significantly worse OS in patients with grade 3 STS. It is crucial to consider the primary tumour as well as the IPNs when considering the risk of progression. Surveillance CT scans should be carried out within 6 months.