Liposarcoma of the head and neck: analysis of 318 cases with comparison to non-head and neck sites

Abstract

Background: Liposarcomas are rare in the head and neck. We analyzed a large series of head and neck liposarcomas to determine features unique to the head and neck.

Methods: Three hundred eighteen liposarcomas of the head and neck were contrasted with 9485 liposarcomas of other regions using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Results: Head and neck liposarcomas were most commonly subcutaneous (81.%), low grade (70.1%; p < .001), and early stage (p < .001). They were more likely to be treated with surgery alone, whereas conventional liposarcomas were more likely to receive adjuvant radiation (p < .001). Treatment that included surgery had better survival than radiation therapy alone (p = .008). Overall, liposarcomas of the head and neck had significantly higher disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) than conventional liposarcomas (p < .001).

Conclusion: Liposarcomas of the head and neck are usually early stage, low grade, and with fewer nodal metastases than conventional liposarcomas. DSS and OS were significantly greater for liposarcomas of the head and neck.

Keywords: SEER database; disease-specific survival; head and neck; liposarcoma; overall survival.