Diagnostic, survival, and tumor control outcomes of parapharyngeal space liposarcoma: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Parapharyngeal space liposarcomas (PPS-LS) are rare tumors often associated with a moderate-to-poor prognosis.

Objectives: This study aims to assess tumor control and survival outcomes across the various subtypes of PPS-LS.

Material and methods: We conducted a systematic review of cases using PubMed, OVID, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and EBSCO from inception to October 2024. Given the data on individual patient follow-up, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was utilized to calculate disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS).

Results: Out of 303 articles, 10 studies with 11 patients (72.7% male) met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 51.3 years (range: 12-77.5). Preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology was conducted in 45.4%, with 80% yielding inconclusive results. The 2-year and 5-year DFS rates for PPS-LS were 64% and 50%, respectively, while the 2-year DSS rate was 84%. Tumor recurrence occurred in 36.3% of patients, with an average of 2.5 recurrences per patient, specifically the myxoid subtype of PPS-LS.

Conclusion: This systematic review highlights the varied prognostic outcomes of PPS-LS and its subtypes, emphasizing the need for vigilant surveillance to improve DFS and reduce recurrence rates.

Significance: This provides surgeons with critical insights into probable prognostic outcomes when dealing with specific subtypes of PPS-LS.

Keywords: Liposarcoma; head and neck liposarcoma; parapharyngeal liposarcoma; parapharyngeal space tumors; soft tissue sarcoma.