Lower Levels of TAZ Expression Associated with Post-Surgical Wound Healing Complications in Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients Treated with Preoperative Radiation

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Pre-operative radiation (Pre-RT) decreases local recurrence following soft tissue sarcoma (STS) resection but carries the risk of wound healing complications (WHCs). This study evaluated skin specimens and clinical characteristics of STS patients to (1) compare patients with and without Pre-RT, (2) compare Pre-RT patients with and without WHCs, and (3) explore associations between clinical characteristics and WHCs. <b>Methods:</b> This retrospective study included 54 adults who underwent STS resection with primary closure (Pre-RT n = 30). A pathologist who was blinded to the clinical outcomes evaluated the skin specimens microscopically. <b>Results:</b> Irradiated skin had lower vessel density and was more likely to lack hair follicles and sebaceous glands, consistent with the effects of radiation. Irradiated skin was also more likely to include plasma cells. Irradiated skin demonstrated higher mean TAZ H-scores; however, within the Pre-RT subset, those patients who developed WHCs demonstrated comparatively lower TAZ. <b>Conclusions:</b> This novel finding may suggest that higher TAZ in irradiated skin reflects a response to injury but that comparatively lower TAZ in irradiated skin might contribute to WHCs. Future studies should consider more focused evaluation of TAZ in STS resections with Pre-RT as they may help to predict WHCs when used in combination with other histologic factors and could suggest a therapeutic target.