[Follow-up of patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma: a retrospective cost-benefit analysis].
OBJECTIVE
Determination of the respective roles of clinical investigation, laboratory tests and various imaging techniques in the follow up of children and adolescents with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.


METHODS
In a retrospective monocenter analysis, charts of 72 patients with osteosarcoma and 47 patients with Ewing's sarcoma were reviewed with respect to ability of different diagnostic methods to detect the relapse, and correlated outcome.


RESULTS
In about 25% of relapses, a second remission could be achieved. The most sensitive methods to detect a potentially curable relapse were clinical investigations and chest x-ray in the case of osteosarcoma and chest x-ray and whole body scintigraphy in the case of Ewing's sarcoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The different value of diagnostic methods in the follow-up of the two illnesses may be explained by the different tumor biologies and by distinct therapeutic strategies for the treatment of relapses in the two tumor entities. However, an ongoing evaluation of current follow-up strategies is necessary to take into account new therapeutic developments which may shift the importance of certain imaging techniques.
Körholz
D
D
Klinik für pädiatrische Hämotologie und Onkologie, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf.
Verheyen
J
J
Engelbrecht
V
V
Guillaume
T
T
Vosberg
H
H
Göbel
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008400:Mass Chest X-Ray; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016019:Survival Analysis