Clinical Spectrum of Sarcoma in the Sultanate of Oman

Sarcomas are a group of malignant tumors arising from mesenchymal tissue, with variable presentations and outcomes. Multiple factors contribute to the prognosis of the disease. As they are relatively infrequent, data on their clinical spectra and treatment outcomes are limited. The aim of this study is to identify the clinical spectrum of sarcomas in the Sultanate of Oman.

This is a single-center, retrospective study, conducted in The Royal Hospital, Muscat. The target population was sarcoma patients aged 18 years and above, who were diagnosed and treated over 5 years between 2016 to 2020 in this hospital.

A total of 234 patients with histologically proven soft tissue and bone sarcomas were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 43 years. Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) constituted the most common type (72.2%). The most common histopathologic subtype of STS was uterine sarcoma at 25.8%, followed by gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) (12.4%). Among 234 patients, 60 patients had metastatic disease and received palliative chemotherapy, and 174 patients were treated with curative intent. The mean progression free survival (PFS) in localized and metastatic bone sarcomas was 52.0 months and 10 months respectively. In STS cohort, the mean PFS in localized and metastatic was 33.0 months and 23.0 respectively. The mean of overall survival (OS) was 58.8 months and 11.8 months in localized and metastatic bone sarcomas while in STS, the mean of OS was 91.0 months and 26.0 months respectively. There was a statistically significant association between age and survival in STS, while the same was not seen in bone sarcomas.

Sarcomas are infrequent tumors with variety of histological subtypes and prognosis. We observed a gradual decline in survival with advancing age in the STS group.