Head and neck chondrosarcomas: Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database

Background: Chondrosarcoma is a rare tumor of the head and neck. Because of the limited clinical data, no studies have conducted a thorough comparison between head and neck chondrosarcomas and those arising at other body sites. Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we compared 682 patients with chondrosarcomas of the head and neck with 4757 patients with non–head and neck chondrosarcomas, evaluating disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) based on tumor location, histology, grade, stage, and treatment. Results: Head and neck chondrosarcomas displayed a lower grade (p <.001) and stage (p <.0001) compared with other chondrosarcomas. Overall, chondrosarcomas of the head and neck had significantly higher DSS and OS than non–head and neck chondrosarcomas (p <.001). Conclusion: Chondrosarcomas of the head and neck display a lower grade and stage compared with other chondrosarcomas. DSS and OS were significantly greater for chondrosarcomas of the head and neck.