A Case of Leiomyosarcoma of the Femoral Artery; Rare Location and Management at an Advanced Stage

Abstract

Vascular leiomyosarcomas are extremely rare tumours, accounting for less than 1% of all malignant tumours. Venous leiomyosarcomas occur five times more frequently than arterial leiomyosarcomas. These are most often found in the large vessels and less than 50% occur in the peripheral circulation. Median survival has not been quantified. It can be good if radical surgery is performed. Treatment, whatever the stage, requires multidisciplinary management. Surgery with en bloc resection remains the treatment of choice for localised disease; in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease, systemic treatment with essentially palliative aims may be proposed. Anthracycline-based treatment is the standard first-line therapy. We report a case report of a 50-year-old female patient with local, pulmonary and bone relapse of an operated left femoral artery leiomyosarcoma in whom we undertook palliative mono-chemotherapy. Conclusion: Vascular leiomyosarcomas are extremely rare tumours, accounting for less than 1% of all malignant tumours. Median survival is dramatic for metastatic patients, with a median survival of 8 months, ranging from 5 to 20 months. Surgery remains the standard curative treatment for the localised stage; for stage 4, single chemotherapy is the treatment of choice.