Soft tissue sarcomas of the head and neck. Clinical and pathological evaluation of 108 cases in Mexico.
BACKGROUND
Sarcomas constitute 1% of all malignancies, but 10% occur in the head and neck (HN), and they are poorly understood. We present a large series of Soft Tissue HN sarcomas in Mexican patients with survival analysis.


METHODS
This is a retrospective study of cases in a cancer hospital.


METHODS
Review of files and pathology material. Literature review.


RESULTS
We analysed 108 patients (55 men / 53 women). The age at presentation was 37 years. The original diagnosis changed in nine cases (8.3%). The most common subtype was rhabdomyosarcoma. Ninety percent of tumours were deep, 91% were high grade, 44% had metastasis, 63% measured >5 cm, overall 5-year survival (5 y-OS) was 48%, and histological high grade was associated with poor survival (p = 0.026).


CONCLUSIONS
Sarcomas of the HN are rare. The most affected sites were paranasal sinuses. The majority of tumours were deep, > 5 cm and high grade, 50% had metastasis, the 5 y-OS was 48% and the only independent factor associated with 5 y-OS was histologic grade.
Department of Surgical Oncology at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, México, D.F. Av San Fernando #22 col. Seccion XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City CP 14080, Mexico.
Rosa Angélica
RA
Salcedo-Hernández
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Hospital y Fundación Clínica Médica Sur, Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address: saul.lino.sil@gmail.com.
Leonardo Saúl
LS
Lino-Silva
Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, México, D.F. Av San Fernando #22 col. Seccion XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City CP 14080, Mexico; Departamento de Atención a la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico.
Adalberto
A
Mosqueda-Taylor
Department of Surgical Oncology at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, México, D.F. Av San Fernando #22 col. Seccion XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City CP 14080, Mexico.
Kuauhyama
K
Luna-Ortiz
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000556:secondary; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
Cancer; Head and neck sarcomas; Mexican; Sarcomas; Soft tissues