Stewart–Treves syndrome—treatment and outcome in six patients from a single centre

Aims Stewart–Treves syndrome is an angiosarcoma associated with long-standing lymphoedema, most commonly seen as a rare complication of breast cancer treatment, and is associated with a poor outcome. We present results from six patients supporting the use of early radical surgery to improve prognosis. Methods Six patients with Stewart–Treves syndrome were diagnosed and treated at our centre over an 11-year period. Five patients had forequarter amputation and the sixth had a through-hip amputation. Results Four of the six patients are alive and well following surgery (at 3, 16, 23, and 135 months after amputation); one patient died from metastatic disease at 15 months and the second died due to an unrelated malignancy. Conclusion Early diagnosis and treatment by radical ablative surgery confers a reasonable prognosis with this rare but aggressive disease. A nihilistic approach is unjustified.