title: Angiosarcoma of the head and neck. The UCLA experience 1955 through 1990.
abstract: Between 1955 and 1990, 28 patients with angiosarcoma of the head and neck were seen at UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Half the lesions arose on the scalp; the remainder occurred in the soft tissues of the face and neck. Nine patients presented with multifocal disease. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 159 months, with a median of 32 months. The overall prognosis was poor, with a 5-year disease-free survival of 26% (7/27 patients). Of 21 patients having recurrences after primary treatment, 90% (19/21 patients) had a component of local failure. Distant metastasis had developed in nine patients at last follow-up. Of patients treated initially with surgery alone, 8% (1/12 patients) remain disease free vs 67% (4/6 patients) who received postoperative radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy. Only one (14%) of seven patients treated primarily with radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy was rendered disease free. Angiosarcoma usually presents with high-grade histologic features and frequently with multifocal disease. There is propensity for both local recurrence and distant metastasis. Our results and a review of the literature suggest that combined modality therapy offers the best chance for long-term control in patients with angiosarcoma of the head and neck.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Medical Group, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sercarz
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Calcaterra
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Juillard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012535:Scalp / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents