During a 21-year period (1970-1991), 7 patients with primary retroperitoneal liposarcomas were treated surgically in our department. All the tumours were excised completely, and in 2 patients an additional nephrectomy was performed. Postoperatively 4 patients had adjuvant radiotherapy. Two other patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Both of them had to be reoperated, because of a local recurrence 12 and 9 months after their first operation. There was one death on the first postoperative day, and 4 patients died 1 1/2-2 years after the initial operation. Two patients are still alive 34 and 22 months after their first operation with recurrent disease. Adjuvant therapy proved to be ineffective on the survival of our patients. The prognosis of retroperitoneal liposarcomas continues to be poor and the primary treatment has to be aggressive with complete resection of the tumor.