Significance of Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Recurrences After Radiotherapy of Soft-Tissue Sarcomas of the Limbs and the Thorax Wall

Regular follow-up examinations are necessary after every radiotherapy of a malignancy to be able to detect late radiation sequelae and for timely diagnosis of recurrences. In the region of the limbs, where, particularly soft-tissues are to be treated, the investigation is very difficult, since extensive scars are generally present after operation and radiotherapy. We therefore compared ultrasound to palpation and computer tomography (CT) in detecting local recurrences in good time and with adequate certainty.