Combination therapy for scalp angiosarcoma using bevacizumab and chemotherapy: a case report and review of literature

Comprehensive treatment of unresectable cardiac angiosarcoma: A case report and review of literature

Cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare but lethal tumor that is difficult to diagnose and treat, due to its rapid local relapse and high incidence of systemic metastasis. The prognosis of cardiac angiosarcoma is dismal, with a mean life expectancy of only a few months. We herein report a case of unresectable angiosarcoma arising from the right atrium. The patient received first-line chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel, and second-line therapy with vinorelbine and bevacizumab upon disease progression. The progression-free survival was 6 months and the overall survival was 7 months. The patient eventually succumbed to respiratory failure. A study of the present case and a review of the relevant literature suggest that treatment decisions for unresectable locally advanced or metastatic cardiac angiosarcoma are difficult, as the published literature on this disease mainly consists of case reports without sufficient data. Therefore, further clinical trials specific to the treatment of unresectable cardiac angiosarcoma are warranted.

Angiosarcoma of the Head and Neck

Introduction Angiosarcoma of the head and neck is a rare vascular sarcoma associated with high rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis and a poor prognosis.

Objective We describe our experience treating patients with angiosarcoma of the head and neck to evaluate the outcomes, patterns of failure, and current treatments.

Methods We identified six patients with angiosarcoma of the head and neck and treated at our institution between 2000 and 2013. We compared our results to the literature from 1979 to 2013.

Results Mean follow-up was 42 months. Local recurrence rate was 50% with disease-specific survival and 2-year disease-free survival rates of 33.3 and 20%, respectively. Prognostic factors included tumor size > 5 cm and surgical margin status, with no correlation between histologic grade and survival. Combined-modality therapy was only used for aggressive tumors with positive surgical margins but is suggested to improve local control and overall survival.

Conclusions Our data series supports that angiosarcoma of the head and neck has a high rate of recurrence and is associated with a poor prognosis, despite current combined-modality therapy. The study highlights the importance of attaining negative margins during surgical resection, the utility of adjuvant therapies, as well as the need for continued research in developing new management strategies.