OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed synovial sarcoma (SS) of the head and neck in order to identify features associated with survival improvement and compared them with the survival of SS of limbs. METHODS: Clinical charts and histopathologic material with analysis for SYT/SSX gene rearrangement of 16 patients were reviewed. The clinicopathologic features and their association with survival were analyzed and compared with 174 SS of limbs. RESULTS: The average age was 24.2 years (range 21-86). Eight cases occurred in each sex. The most frequent site was the parapharyngeal space (PPS). The mean tumor size was 5.38cm. Sixty-nine percent occurred in Stages II-III and 9% in Stage IV. Fifteen cases were excised: R0 resection in seven (46.7%) cases and R1 resection in eight (53.3%) cases. No patient with R0 resection has recurred, and three patients (37.5%) with R1 resection have recurred (p=0.035). Patients with R0 surgery had better survival rates compared to those who received other treatments (p=0.045). SS of head and neck showed a 5-year survival rate of 58% compared to 44.6% of the limbs (p=0.450). CONCLUSION: The most prevalent location was the PPS. Surgical resection with clear margins correlated with low recurrence. Head and neck sarcomas had similar survival rates compared to sarcomas of limbs.
OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed synovial sarcoma (SS) of the head and neck in order to identify features associated with survival improvement and compared them with the survival of SS of limbs. METHODS: Clinical charts and histopathologic material with analysis for SYT/SSX gene rearrangement of 16 patients were reviewed. The clinicopathologic features and their association with survival were analyzed and compared with 174 SS of limbs. RESULTS: The average age was 24.2 years (range 21-86). Eight cases occurred in each sex. The most frequent site was the parapharyngeal space (PPS). The mean tumor size was 5.38cm. Sixty-nine percent occurred in Stages II-III and 9% in Stage IV. Fifteen cases were excised: R0 resection in seven (46.7%) cases and R1 resection in eight (53.3%) cases. No patient with R0 resection has recurred, and three patients (37.5%) with R1 resection have recurred (p=0.035). Patients with R0 surgery had better survival rates compared to those who received other treatments (p=0.045). SS of head and neck showed a 5-year survival rate of 58% compared to 44.6% of the limbs (p=0.450). CONCLUSION: The most prevalent location was the PPS. Surgical resection with clear margins correlated with low recurrence. Head and neck sarcomas had similar survival rates compared to sarcomas of limbs.
Authors: Monika Scheer; Christian Vokuhl; Sebastian Bauer; Jörg Fuchs; Steffan Loff; Beate Timmermann; Marc Münter; Anton George Henssen; Bernarda Kazanowska; Felix Niggli; Ruth Ladenstein; Gustaf Ljungman; Ewa Koscielniak; Thomas Klingebiel Journal: J Cancer Res Clin Oncol Date: 2021-07-17 Impact factor: 4.553