The scientists said they examined specimens taken from 41 patients with soft tissue cancer. In a subset of 31 cases of non-metastatic cancers, they found a direct relationship between gene pRb2/p130 expression and the clinical outcome of patients.

"We found that pRb2/p130 expression was lost or decreased and significantly correlated with recurrence of disease and poor survival rates in the subset of patients with non-metastatic tumors," said Dr. Valeria Masciullo of the University of Siena, the study's lead author.

She said those findings show a reduction in the expression of pRb2/p130 can mean a higher risk of recurrence and death from STSs.

The finding might help physicians determine which patients have a higher risk of disease recurrence and who might benefit from a more aggressive adjuvant therapy.

The researchers -- including scientists from Temple University in Philadelphia, the University of Siena and the Center of Oncological Research of Mercogliano in Avellino, Italy -- report their findings in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.