Primary Thoracic Synovial Sarcoma: Results of Treatment at a Single Institution

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare and aggressive malignancy. There is a paucity of data on treatment outcomes of patients with primary thoracic SS. This study describes an institutional experience with the treatment of primary thoracic SS.

Patients treated at Mayo Clinic between 1994 and 2022 for primary thoracic SS, excluding thoracic spine involvement, were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, tumor characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were collected. Overall survival and recurrence-free survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model.

Among 43 patients (mean age, 46 [SD, 16.7] years), tumors originated in the lung (65%), chest wall (12%), mediastinum (9%), pleura (7%), pericardium (5%), and heart (2%). Localized disease at presentation was observed in 77%. Surgical resection was performed in 35 patients, with 37% receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 17% neoadjuvant radiotherapy. Pulmonary resection was the most common operation (66%). Negative margins were achieved in 74% of patients. Median overall survival was 38.1 months, varying by treatment type (nonoperative, 11.8 months; non-R0 resection, 26.0 months; and R0 resection, 46.6 months; P = .008). Worse overall survival after resection was associated with nonpulmonary origin, larger size, and non-R0 resection. Median recurrence-free survival was 14.9 months, with mediastinal or pleural tumor origin and size ≥10 cm as factors associated with recurrence.

Primary thoracic SS are associated with a poor prognosis. Pulmonary and chest wall SS are associated with better outcomes compared with other sites of origin. Complete resection is associated with improved survival, and therefore, should be strongly considered in patients where a negative margin can be achieved.