Abstract
Angiosarcoma of the scalp is known as a rare sarcoma arising in the elderly, and for its desperately poor prognosis. However, recent treatment modalities have improved the prognosis of the patients. We herein report the clinical features and follow-up data of 12 patients (8 men and 4 women, average age 76) with angiosarcoma of the scalp treated at Kanazawa University Hospital between 1995 and 2005.
A total of 9 patients underwent surgical excision in combination with chemotherapy, recombinant interleukin 2 (r-IL2) and/or radiotherapy. Two patients received only r-IL 2 or radiotherapy and one received radiotherapy and r-IL2. Six of the 12 patients received radiotherapy for post-surgical adjuvant and two for recurrent disease. Weekly docetaxel chemotherapy was performed in 3 patients to treat pulmonary metastasis and in 5 patients as an adjuvant therapy after surgical excision.
Local recurrence was observed in 5 of 8 patients after a disease free interval. Six of the 12 patients died of pulmonary metastasis of angiosarcoma, and one died of disseminated intravascular coagulation at an average of 7.6 months after initial therapy. A group of patients who underwent adjuvant weekly docetaxel chemotherapy showed significantly longer survival rates than the others. [Skin Cancer (Japan) 2007; 22: 44-48]
