Radiation-Associated Sarcoma of the Neck: Case Series and Systematic Review

Introduction: Radiation-associated soft tissue sarcomas of the neck (RASN) constitute a rare and aggressive tumor type. Methods: A retrospective chart review at the authors’ institution revealed 3 patients with RASN. A systematic review of the literature was also conducted using MEDLINE, Ovid, the Cochrane Library, and Embase. Results: Patients within the authors’ institutional chart review presented from 6 to 26 years after neck radiation with neck masses. All patients underwent surgical resection with clear margins, and adjuvant radiation was offered when feasible. Patients had no evidence of disease at most recent follow-up. A total of 867 articles were screened for systematic review, revealing 9 articles detailing outcomes of RASN. Studies were small and heterogeneous, precluding pooled data. The importance of complete surgical extirpation was noted. Conclusions: Complete surgical resection appears to be the mainstay of therapy, but there are limited data on management and outcomes of patients with RASN.