Outcome and the effect of age and socioeconomic status in 1318 patients with synovial sarcoma in the English National Cancer Registry: 1985–2009

BACKGROUND: The role of age as a prognostic factor has been examined in single institutional studies and in larger data sets from the SEER database, showing a survival advantage for younger versus adult patients with synovial sarcoma (SS). To further assess the role of age, socioeconomic status and other prognostic factors on outcome for SS, we analysed a contemporary all-age population-based cohort of patients with SS registered in England. METHODS: The data on 1318 synovial sarcomas diagnosed in England between 1985 and 2009 were retrospectively analysed for incidence, and the effect of age, patient characteristics and deprivation on outcome using both univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of SS increased to 1.4 per million over the time period, the numbers diagnosed in patients under 10 years of age were small. The site or incidence of metastases did not vary between age groups. There were, however, significant differences (p < 0.05) in the 5-year relative survival rates between patients aged 0–19 years and those ≥20 years of age, 76 % and 53 % respectively. Survival was better in localised tumours at an extremity site. In multivariate analysis higher mortality occurred in older patients, non-extremity site, presence of metastases, female adults and a higher deprivation score. CONCLUSIONS: Synovial sarcoma in children/teenagers compared with adults, have a similar clinical presentation in this population-based series, but a superior outcome. The finding of socioeconomic deprivation affecting outcome in SS needs further exploration in a complete and contemporary dataset, where all prognostic variables are present.