Local recurrence and local control of non-metastatic osteosarcoma of the extremities: a 27-year experience in a single institution.
BACKGROUND
Indications and contraindications for limb salvage versus amputation for local treatment of osteosarcoma of the extremity are still controversial.


METHODS
Patients (1,126) with non-metastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity, treated in a single institution between 1972 and 1999 with different protocols of adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated to establish factors that could influence local recurrence (LR) and outcome.


RESULTS
The 5-year event-free survival and overall survival were 55% and 66%. At a follow-up ranging between 5.5 and 32.5 years (mean18.6 years) of the 1,126 evaluated patients, 607 (54%) remained continuously disease-free and 519 relapsed. LR developed in 61 patients (5.4%) after a median time of 2.3 years (0.2-17). For this group of patients the 5-year post-relapse event-free survival and overall survival from the last relapse were, respectively, 11.4% and 16.4%. At the multivariate analyses only surgical margins and histologic response to preoperative treatment resulted to be independent prognostic factors for LR.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the risk of LR after surgery with inadequate surgical margins and poor prognosis of LR in osteosarcoma, limb salvage procedures should be performed only when adequate margins surgical margins can be achieved. In case of inadequate margins, an immediate amputation should be considered.
Bacci
Gaetano
G
Chemotherapy, Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy. gaetano.bacci@ior.it
Forni
Cristiana
C
Longhi
Alessandra
A
Ferrari
Stefano
S
Mercuri
Mario
M
Bertoni
Franco
F
Serra
Massimo
M
Briccoli
Antonio
A
Balladelli
Alba
A
Picci
Piero
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000075202:Contraindications; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D023821:Limb Salvage; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001761:Bleomycin; D003609:Dactinomycin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin; D008727:Methotrexate