Recommendations in management of head and neck sarcomas

Abstract

Sarcomas of the head and neck are rare malignant tumours with incidence 2% of head and neck cancers, 30% of all sarcomas in children and 4–10% of sarcomas in adults. The most common sarcoma in children is rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and Ewing sarcoma (ES), in contrary in elderlies there is angiosarcoma; osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma are the most common bone tumours in head and neck. The typical symptoms are: painless tumour in the head and neck region, difficulty with speaking, hoarseness, dysphagia, nasal obturation, or dysfunction of cranial nerves. The key point of diagnostics is magnetic resonance and computed tomography of the primary tumour. The treatment of patients with sarcoma should be carried out in referral centers, where experienced multidisciplinary team proceed the surgical removal of a primary tumour with reconstructive surgery as well as perioperative systemic therapy (in selected cases). The recommendations were developed by the Head and Neck Sarcoma Group of the Polish Registry of Bone Tumors.