Sarcomas of the paranasal sinuses: An analysis of the SEER database

Abstract

Objective: To determine the demographics, treatment modalities, and overall survival of patients with sinonasal sarcoma.

Methods: All cases of primary sinonasal sarcomas diagnosed between the years of 2009 and 2014 were extracted from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Additional variables collected included age, gender, ethnicity, tumor histological subtype, tumor size, treatment modality, vitality status, and follow-up time. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated and overall survival was calculated.

Results: One hundred and four cases of sinonasal sarcoma were identified. The majority of patients were female (55%), white (76%), and non-Hispanic (84%), and the mean age was 47 ± 22 years. The most common tumor sites were the maxillary sinus, followed by the ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinus. Forty six percent of tumors were rhabdomyosarcoma type. Most patients (66%) had some type of surgery, 64% received radiation, and 58% received chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Overall 1- and 5-year survival was 79% and 31%, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival based on patient gender, age, ethnicity, radiation, or chemotherapy treatment.

Conclusions: This study adds to the current literature of sinonasal sarcomas and is the first to report in detail the surgical interventions performed as well as characteristics about lymph node spread, tumor histology, and treatment outcomes since the advent of radiation and chemotherapy. As these tumors are so rare, continued study of the demographics, tumor characteristics, and long-term outcomes of this population is necessary to guide treatment modalities and strategies for otolaryngologists.

Level of evidence: 2b.

Keywords: Sarcoma; otolaryngology; paranasal sinus neoplasms; rhabdomyosarcoma; survival.

Figure 1

Kaplan‐Meier survival curve for patients with paranasal sinus sarcomas (n=104). Maximum follow up time was 60 months. The median follow up time was 17 months; 58 patients were censored.