Prevalence of Primary Epithelioid Sarcoma in the United States: A Cross-sectional Study Using the SEER Database

Abstract

Primary epithelioid sarcoma (PES) is a rare form of sarcoma that usually affects the extremities and comprises less than 1% of all sarcomas. PES can occur in various parts of the body, including bone, adrenal glands, vulva, and pleura. Despite its rarity, there is a significant knowledge gap in the medical literature concerning diagnosing and treating PES. A PubMed search revealed only 27 articles on PES, highlighting the limited available options for patients with this condition. To address this gap, we investigated the prevalence of PES in the US population. Our study utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program to identify disease occurrence patterns from 2017 to 2018. We found that the highest prevalence was among individuals of White race between the ages of 25-59, with the second-highest prevalence in individuals of Black race between the ages of 30-64. However, we acknowledge that our method may have underestimated the prevalence rate of PES in some unknown racial groups. Additionally, our findings suggest that the prevalence rate of PES is the highest in the 30-34 age group.