Patterns of Radiotherapy Use and Outcomes in Head and Neck Soft-Tissue Sarcoma in a National Cohort

We used the National Cancer Database to identify the patterns of care and prognostic factors in adult patients with head and neck soft-tissue sarcoma (HNSTS).

Retrospective cohort analysis.

Using the National Cancer Database, we identified patients age ≥ 18 years who were diagnosed with HNSTS between 2004 and 2013. Both χ² and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with radiation therapy (RT) utilization. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate overall survival (OS) and Cox proportional regression was used to determine significant contributors to OS.

Our final cohort included 1,282 patients (682 treated with surgery only, 199 treated with RT only, and 401 treated with surgery and RT). Patients with younger age, poor tumor grade, rhabdomyosarcoma histology, and chemotherapy treatment were more likely to receive RT alone without surgery. Among the 1,083 surgical patients, RT utilization was associated with positive margins (odds ratio [OR]: 2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36-3.48), poor grade (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.95-4.38), and chemotherapy use (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.15-2.76). Radiotherapy utilization among surgical patients was not affected by demographic factors (age, sex, or ethnicity) or treatment institution (academic or community). For surgical patients, poor grade, large tumor size, and rhabdomyosarcoma histology were associated with worse OS on multivariate analysis.

In this analysis of HNSTS, younger patients with poor tumor grade and rhabdomyosarcoma histology were more likely to receive RT without surgery. Among surgical patients, adjuvant RT was more likely to be used for positive margins and poor grade, with no demographic disparities identified. Poor grade and rhabdomyosarcoma histology were negative prognostic factors for surgical patients.

NA Laryngoscope, 130:120-127, 2020.