Comparison of clinical features between patients with bone and soft tissue angiosarcomas.

Abstract

Background: Angiosarcoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy arising from vascular endothelial cells, with distinct subtypes originating in bone (AS-B) and soft tissue (AS-ST). While these subtypes share pathological similarities, differences in clinical outcomes remain unclear due to limited data. This study aimed to compare the clinical features, treatment strategies, and survival outcomes between AS-B and AS-ST using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the SEER database from 2000 to 2020. A total of 3600 angiosarcoma cases were included, with 114 AS-B and 3486 AS-ST cases. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment modalities were analyzed. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and risk factors were evaluated through Cox proportional hazards modeling.

Results: AS-B patients were predominantly male, with higher rates of extremity tumors and distant metastases compared to AS-ST. The 5-year CSS was 34.4 % and OS was 15.0 % for AS-B, compared to 38.3 % CSS and 26.0 % OS for AS-ST, with no significant differences after Cox proportional hazards modeling. Metastases were associated with poorer survival in AS-B, while surgical intervention and chemotherapy improved both CSS and OS. Similar trends were observed in AS-ST, with tumor grade, metastases, and treatment modalities influencing survival.

Conclusion: This population-based study highlights the distinct clinical features of AS-B and AS-ST. It also demonstrates comparable survival outcomes between the two groups. Although survival was similar between AS-B and AS-ST, their distinct clinical characteristics suggest the need for site-specific therapeutic considerations. Given the retrospective design, observed treatment effects should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships.