Clinicopathological features and departmental distribution of sarcoma patients: a single-center retrospective study

Sarcomas are heterogeneous malignancies with high misdiagnosis and referral challenges. Limited real-world data on sarcoma subtype distribution, age-specific patterns, and departmental referral characteristics in Chinese populations hinders the optimization of clinical management strategies. This study aimed to analyze the clinicopathological features and departmental distribution of 295 sarcoma patients, subtype patterns, to optimize diagnostic and referral strategies. This retrospective study enrolled 295 inpatients with pathologically confirmed sarcomas who underwent surgical resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between September 2020 and November 2023. Demographic, clinical, and pathological data were extracted from electronic medical records and pathology databases. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 20.0 and R 4.5.2, with Pearson’s chi-square test for categorical associations and one-way analysis of variance for age differences across subtypes. The cohort had a median age of 56 years, with middle-aged and older adults (41-80 years) accounting for 75.9% of cases, and a male-to-female ratio of 1.27:1. Patients were admitted across 17 departments, with Orthopedic Oncology (41.0%), Urology (12.9%), and Plastic Surgery (10.8%) as the top three. Extremities (35.6%) were the most common tumor location. The top five pathological subtypes were unspecified sarcoma (24.7%), liposarcoma (16.9%), chondrosarcoma (15.3%), osteosarcoma (10.5%), and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP, 6.8%). Significant associations were identified between pathological subtypes and age (χ²=144.5, P<0.001), admitting department (χ²=370.6, P<0.001), tumor location (χ²=412.4, P<0.001), and gender (χ²=22.2, P=0.014). immunohistochemical findings included CD34 positivity in 82.4% of DFSP cases and S-100 positivity in 76.7% of liposarcoma cases. Sarcoma subtypes show distinct clinical factor-specific patterns, informing optimized referrals and treatment.Tailored pathways and standardized pathological assessment can enhance diagnostic efficiency and treatment outcomes for Chinese sarcoma patients.