Survival differences of low-grade versus high-grade head and neck pleomorphic dermal sarcomas and a review of a scalp case

Objective: To examine survival by tumor grade of pleomorphic dermal sarcomas (PDS) of the head and neck (H&N) and review a scalp PDS case.

Methods: Patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were included from 1980 to 2016 based on a diagnosis of H&N PDS. Survival estimates were performed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Additionally, a case of a grade III H&N PDS is presented.

Results: Two hundred-seventy cases of PDS were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 75.1 years (SD: 13.5). Two hundred-thirty-four (86.7%) patients were male. Eighty-seven percent of patients received surgery as a part of their care. The 5-year overall survival rates for grades I, II, III, and IV PDSs were 69%, 60%, 50%, and 42%, respectively (P = 0.03).

Conclusions: H&N PDS occurs most commonly in older-age males. Surgical management is frequently a part of H&N PDS care. Survival rates significantly decline based on tumor grade.