Abstract
Objectives Head and neck (H&N) sarcomas are rare mesenchymal lesions accounting for 5-15% of all sarcomas with a poor prognosis. Their management can be challenging due to the complex anatomy, difficulty in surgical removal and heterogeneity within and between lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the range and demographics of all histologically confirmed H&N sarcomas over a 10-year period seen at a regional specialist sarcoma centre. Information about grade, margin clearance, treatment modality, metastasis and recurrence was analysed and correlated to survival. Findings 87 sarcomas were identified using the local database with a male prevalence (67%) and a mean age of 43 years. The most common diagnoses were angiosarcoma, pleomorphic sarcoma NOS (14.9%), chondrosarcoma (10.34%) and rhabdomyosarcoma (9.2%). The most commonly involved sites were scalp (26.44%), neck (12.64%), buccal mucosa and temporal fossa (9.2%). The majority of the lesions were Trojani grade 3 (44%). A large proportion of the sarcomas were smaller than 5 cm (70%). 97% of cases were treated with curative intent with surgery the first intervention in 77% cases and chemoradiotherapy in the remaining 23%. When surgery was employed, excision was undertaken for 90% of cases and debulking for the remaining 10%. 47% cases developed a recurrence which was predominantly locoregional (68%) and related to margin involvement (p Conclusions Head and neck sarcomas are rare and complex lesions requiring multidisciplinary management. Our survival rates are similar to those reported in literature with grade and metastasis being the most important predictors of survival. National and international databases are required for multicentre registration and better identification of prognostic factors.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call