Soft tissue sarcoma in the head and neck--analysis of 87 patients

From 1964 to 1984, 87 patients with soft tissue sarcoma (excluding lymphreticulum system sarcoma) in the head and neck were treated in our hospital. All were proved by pathology. The incidence rate of fibrosarcoma was the highest (36.8%), hemangiosarcoma the lowest (5.8%). There was no liposarcoma or synovial sarcoma in this group. The most frequently involved site was the area near the nasal cavity and maxillary sinus for fibrosarcoma (66%), the base of tongue for hemangiosarcoma (60%), scalp for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (54%), parapharyngeal space and soft tissue of the neck for neurogenic sarcoma (45%). Metastasis rate to the lymph nodes was 16-20% for rhabdomyosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and malignant fibrohistiocyte tumor. No distant metastasis was found in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and malignant fibrohistiocyte tumor. Distant metastasis rate was 10-20% for the other types. Local recurrence rate was 9.1% for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, 88.9% for malignant fibrohistiocyte tumor, 30-66.7% for the other sarcomas. The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 20% and 0%, 37.5% and 0%, 91.6% and 91.6% for rhabdomyosarcoma, malignant fibrohistiocyte tumor and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. There were differences in clinical behavior for soft tissue sarcomas in the head, neck and in the trunk. Highly malignant sarcomas, such as liposarcoma, synovial sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma were rare in the head and neck but the low malignant sarcomas in the head and neck were 3-10 times as common as those in the trunk. Distant metastasis rate of the fibrosarcoma was 20% in head and neck and 6.7%in trunk, the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 36% and 77.9%, 25% and 73.6%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)