The sarcoma ring trial: a case-based analysis of inter-center agreement across 21 German-speaking sarcoma centers

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Siyer Roohani - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (Author)
  • Jolina Handtke - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Kamal Hummedah - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Markus Albertsmeier - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Dimosthenis Andreou - , Medical University of Graz, University of Duisburg-Essen (Author)
  • Leonidas Apostolidis - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Marinela Augustin - , Paracelsus Medical University Nuremberg (Author)
  • Sebastian Bauer - , University of Duisburg-Essen, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Moritz Billner - , Nuremberg Clinic (Author)
  • Florian Bösch - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Christoph K.W. Deinzer - , University Hospital Tübingen (Author)
  • Niklas Deventer - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Anna Duprée - , University of Hamburg (Author)
  • Franziska Eckert - , University Hospital Tübingen, Medical University of Vienna (Author)
  • Lars Engel - , Paracelsus Medical University Nuremberg (Author)
  • Katja Fechner - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Hagen Fritzsche - , University Center for Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery (Author)
  • Verena Gaidzik - , Ulm University (Author)
  • Saeed Ghani - , Fresenius AG (Author)
  • Robert Grützmann - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Wiebke K. Guder - , University of Duisburg-Essen, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Rainer Hamacher - , University of Duisburg-Essen, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Judith S. Hecker - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Anne Hendricks - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Axel Hillmann - , Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy Regensburg (Author)
  • Philipp Houben - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Georg Hübner - , Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy Regensburg (Author)
  • Philipp Ivanyi - , Hannover Medical School (MHH) (Author)
  • Christina Jentsch - , Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC), University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Maren Jordan - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Peter Kappl - , Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy Regensburg (Author)
  • Moritz Kaths - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), University of Duisburg-Essen (Author)
  • Torsten Kessler - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Johanna Kirchberg - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Cancer Centre Dresden, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Carolin Knebel - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Robert Krempien - , Fresenius AG, MSB Medical School Berlin Hochschule für Gesundheit und Medizin (Author)
  • Burkhard Lehner - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Ulrich Lenze - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Lars H. Lindner - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Alisa Martina Lörsch - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Nadia Maguire - , Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy Regensburg (Author)
  • Sophie Müller - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Pompiliu Piso - , Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy Regensburg (Author)
  • Vlatko Potkrajcic - , University Hospital Tübingen (Author)
  • Peter Reichardt - , Fresenius AG, MSB Medical School Berlin Hochschule für Gesundheit und Medizin (Author)
  • Stephan Richter - , Department of Internal Medicine I, National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC), University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Simone Schewe - , University of Hamburg (Author)
  • Lars M. Schiffmann - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Felicitas Scholten - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Jana Käthe Striefler - , University of Hamburg (Author)
  • Matthias Schwarzbach - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Katharina Seidensaal - , Heidelberg University , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Sabine Semrau - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Joanna Szkandera - , Medical University of Graz (Author)
  • Christoph J. Szuszies - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Beate Timmermann - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), University of Duisburg-Essen (Author)
  • Armin Tuscherer - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Armin Wiegering - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Moritz T. Winkelmann - , University Hospital Tübingen (Author)
  • David Kaul - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, HMU Health and Medical University (Author)
  • Jens Jakob - , Heidelberg University  (Author)

Abstract

Purpose: The management of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) at reference centers with specialized multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTB) improves patient survival. The German Cancer Society (DKG) certifies sarcoma centers in German-speaking countries, promoting high standards of care. This study investigated the variability in treatment recommendations for localized STS across different German-speaking tertiary sarcoma centers. Methods: In this cross-sectional case-based survey study, 5 anonymized patient cases with imaging data of localized STS were presented to MTBs of 21 German-speaking tertiary referral hospitals. Centers provided recommendations on treatment sequence and modalities, along with the consensus level within their MTB. Agreement percentages were calculated, and consensus levels were rated on a scale of 1 to 10. Results: Five patient cases were discussed resulting in 105 recommendations. Agreement percentages for case 1 to 5 were 14.3%, 61.9%, 33.3%, 52.4% and 9.3%, with a median agreement percentage of 33.3%. Grouping pre- and postoperative therapies as "perioperative" and including recommendations with and without regional hyperthermia raised the median agreement to 47.6%. The mean consensus level within each center across all 5 cases was 9.5. Conclusion: This first case-based analysis of inter-center agreement for STS management in German-speaking countries reveals low inter-center agreement but high intra-center consensus. Our study includes nearly all tertiary sarcoma centers in German-speaking countries, affirming its strong external validity. These findings suggest potential and clinically very relevant differences in treatment standards among sarcoma centers. Enhanced case-based exchanges and collaborative efforts are needed to reduce discrepancies and standardize the management of STS patients.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number30
JournalJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology
Volume151
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jan 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 39755880

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • German Cancer Society, Guidelines, Inter-center agreement, Reference center, Ring trial, Soft tissue sarcoma