title: Osteosarcoma in young children.
abstract: The clinicopathologic features of osteosarcoma in 12 children younger than 16 years of age treated at The Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, during a 70-year time period are presented. Only one of six children treated before 1972 is a long-term survivor. Four of six children (67%) treated after 1972 are disease-free with an average follow-up of 8.8 years. The year 1972 marked the onset of use of effective chemotherapy in osteosarcoma, namely, high-dose methotrexate and leucovorin rescue. It would appear that the pathologic features and behavior of osteosarcoma in young children is similar to that of osteosarcoma in older children and adolescents. A combination of complete (wide) surgical resection or amputation and aggressive chemotherapy offers the best chance of long-term survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kozakewich
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Perez-Atayde
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Goorin
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gebhardt
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Vawter
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005266:Femoral Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006811:Humerus; D008297:Male; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D013977:Tibia