Head and Neck Sarcomas in the Berlin-Brandenburg Sarcoma Center: A Retrospective Analysis

Introduction Sarcomas of the head and neck are rare and heterogeneous malignant tumors. Studies of these tumors are scarce. Staging and treatment recommendations have been based on the extrapolation of data from other tumor types or other anatomical sites.

Methods This is a retrospective electronic medical record analysis of patients with head and neck sarcomas treated in the Berlin-Brandenburg Sarcoma Center, Bad Saarow from 2015 to 2020.

Results 19 patients with sarcomas of the head and neck were treated from 2015 to 2020. One patient went to palliative care without curative intent. Surgery was performed in 15/18 (83%) of the patients. Of these, 10/15 (66%) underwent adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Only 3/18 (17%) patients received primary chemotherapy. The mean age at presentation was 54 years (range 18-70 years). 8/19 (42%) patients had radiation-induced sarcomas of the head and neck. The most common presentation was an indolent neck mass (42%). The most common histologies were malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (21%), liposarcoma (16%), synovial sarcoma (16%), and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (16%). The median progression-free survival was 22.2 months.

Conclusions Patients with head and neck sarcomas in the Berlin-Brandenburg sarcoma center present a high burden of radiation-induced sarcomas, as well as unique tumor histologies and location frequencies.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 May 2023