Abstract
e23546 Background: Fibromyxosarcoma (MFS) is a rare form of cancer that originates in connective tissue, starting in the arms and legs, but spreads into healthy tissues elsewhere in the body. 42% of MFS patients succumb to the disease within 5 years of diagnosis, with most cases being fatal in less than 2 years post-diagnosis. Due to the scarcity of literature regarding MFS, with no prior otolaryngological study on MFS, the diagnostic trend of the disease can assist in understanding its epidemiology. To determine diagnostic patterns, demographic factors of head and neck MFS patients in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were analyzed. Methods: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) data from 2004 – 2020, a retrospective analysis was performed that included patients with a histologically-confirmed MFS diagnosis in the head and neck (N = 67). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic factors: age, sex, race, social status, number of surgical procedures, facility type, insurance status, Charleson-Deyo score, and type of palliative care received. Regression analysis was used to interpret incidence trends. Results: 67 total patients were identified in NCDB with head and neck MFS between 2004 – 2020 with a steady amount of diagnoses per year (R2 = 0.093). The top primary site was the maxillary sinuses (22.4%). The average age of diagnosis was 54.1 years (SD = 18.0, range = 10 – 90 years). MFS was more present in males (59.7%) than females (40.3%). The majority of the patients were non-Hispanic White (82.1%). More patients lived in counties of metropolitan areas of a population of 1 million or more (55.2%) than in other urban/rural areas (13.5%). 82.1% of patients underwent surgical procedures at the primary site, with 28.4% being through a primary incision in the nose. More patients were treated in an academic/research program (52.2%) than in a non-academic program (28.4%). Most of the patients were privately insured (59.7%). More patients had a median income in the top quartile (44.8%) compared to patients in the second, third, or fourth quartiles. Most individuals had a Charlson-Deyo score of 0 (82.1%). The majority of the patients did not receive palliative care (97.0%). Conclusions: This is the first analysis of otolaryngological MFS using the NCDB, which expands our knowledge on the sociodemographic factors associated with its diagnosis. From all the years analyzed, MFS remains a rare disease. The majority of patients diagnosed with MFS tend to be non-Hispanic, White males with the primary site in the maxillary sinus. MFS patients are mostly treated in academic/research programs and live in densely-populated areas. This analysis provides an initial overview of the impact of demographic factors in patients with MFS, but examination into the impact of these variables on the prognosis and outcome of MFS patients would be valuable in understanding the social inequity surrounding this malignancy.