Sarcomas of the head and neck. Results from the treatment of 25 patients

Aims Head and neck sarcomas comprise a heterogenous and biologically diverse group of rare neoplasms. In an effort to clarify some of the obscure clinical behavior of head and neck sarcomas, we present our experience and review the relevant literature. Methods Retrospective analysis of patients with histologically proven head and neck sarcomas treated in a tertiary Hospital Department between 1992 and 2002. Results During this period, 25 patients with head and neck sarcomas were registered. Follow-up ranged from 8 to 144 months. Twenty-three patients were treated with surgery as the primary modality; 14 were treated by surgery alone. Clear margins were obtained in all of them and local control was achieved in 12/13. The 2- and 5-year survival rates for the entire group were 80 and 40%, respectively. Mean overall survival time of our patients was 62 months (median 52 months). Conclusions Surgical treatment remains the cornerstone of therapeutic management of head and neck sarcomas.