title: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of osteosarcoma of the limbs. Preliminary results in 100 patients treated preoperatively with high doses of methotrexate i.v. followed by cisplatin (i.a.) and adriamycin.
abstract: One-hundred patients affected with non-metastatic osteosarcoma of the limbs were treated according to a new adjuvant chemotherapy protocol. Preoperative treatment consisted in high doses of methotrexate (i.v.), followed after one week by cisplatin continuous intra-arterial infusion for 72 hours and adriamycin in intravenous infusion for 8 hours. There was good clinical and radiographic response in all of the cases, and conservative treatment was used in 86 cases (86%). A postsurgery histological examination of the segment showed "good" necrosis (greater than 90%) in 75 patients (75%). The incidence of "good" necroses obtained with this protocol was significantly higher as compared to that observed previously at our Center when a preoperative chemotherapy scheme was used, which involved methotrexate and cisplatin alone. Up until now, patients with a good histological response to preoperative chemotherapy have always had an excellent prognosis. Thus, it is our belief that the 23% increase in good histological responses observed must correspond to an increase in the percentage of healing. The preliminary results (83% of patients with no signs of disease) seem to encourage our hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Centro Tumori, Reparto di chemioterapia, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bacci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mercuri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capanna
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tienghi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brach del Prever
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D008727:Methotrexate