Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for radioinduced osteosarcoma of the extremity: The Rizzoli experience in 20 cases

PURPOSE: Evaluate treatment and outcome of 20 patients with radioinduced osteosarcoma (RIO). Because of previous primary tumor treatment, RIO protocols were different from others we used for non-RIO. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1983 and 1998, we treated 20 RIO patients, ages 4-36 years (mean 16 years), with chemotherapy (two cycles before surgery, three postoperatively). The first preoperative cycle consisted of high-dose Methotrexate (HDMTX)/Cisplatinum (CDP)/Adriamycin (ADM) and the second of HDMTX/CDP/Ifosfamide (IFO). The three postoperative treatments were performed with cycles of MTX/CDP; IFO was used as single agent per cycle repeated three times. RESULTS: Two patients received palliative treatment because their osteosarcoma remained unresectable after preoperative chemotherapy. The remaining 18 patients had surgery (7 amputations, 11 resections); histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy was good in 8 patients, poor in 10. At a mean follow-up of 11 years (range, 7-22 years), 9 patients remained continuously disease-free, 10 died from osteosarcoma and 1 died from a third neoplasm (myeloid acute leukemia). These results are not significantly different from those achieved in 754 patients with conventional osteosarcoma treated in the same period with protocols used for conventional treatment. However, this later group had an 18% 3-year event-free survival after treatment of relapse vs. 0% in the RIO group. CONCLUSION: Treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy RIO seem to have an outcome that is not significantly different from that of comparable patients with conventional primary high grade osteosarcoma (5-year event-free survival: 40% vs. 60%, p = NS; 5-year overall survival 40% vs. 67%, p < 0.01).     

Comparative Outcome of Thai Pediatric Osteosarcoma Treated with Two Protocols: the Role of High-Dose Methotrexate (HDMTX) in a Single Institute Experience

Background: High-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) is recognized as an efficient component of therapy againstpediatric osteosarcoma in combination with other drugs such as cisplatin (CDP), carboplatin (CBDCA),doxorubicin (ADM), etoposide (VP-16) and ifosfamide (IFO). Objectives: To demonstrate the feasibility andeffectiveness of the HD-MTX/CDP/DOX/VP-16/IFO [MTX(+)] protocol comparable to CDP/ADM/CBDCA/IFO[MTX(-)] for treating childhood osteosarcoma at Ramathibodi Hospital (1999-2014). Materials and Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of osteosarcoma patients aged less than 18 years treated with twochemotherapeutic regimens between 1999 and 2014. A total of 45 patients received the MTX(-) and 21 the MTX(+)protocol. Results: Overall limb-salvage and amputation rate were 12.9% and 77.7%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis results for 3-year disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) regardless of treatmentregimens were 43.4±6.0% and 53.2±6.1% respectively. The 3-year DFS and OS were improved significantlywith the MTX(+) protocol compared to MTX(-) protocol (p=0.010 and p=0.009, log rank test) [69.8±10.5%,79.8±9.1% for MTX(+) and 31.1±6.9%, 42.2±7.4% for MTX(-) protocol, respectively]. Patients with metastaticosteosarcoma treated with the MTX(+) protocol had statistically significant higher 3-year DFS and OS thanthose treated with the MTX(-) protocol (66.7±13.6% and 15.0±8.0% for 3-year DFS, p=0.010, 73.3±13.2% and20±8.9% for 3-year OS, p=0.006, respectively). The independent risk factors for having inferior 3-year DFSand OS were poor histological response (tumor necrosis <90%) and treatment with the MTX(-) protocol. Themultivariate analysis identified only the treatment with the MTX(-) protocol as an independent predictor ofinferior OS with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.53 (95% confidence interval of 1.2-10.41, p=0.022). Conclusions: Ourstudy demonstrated the tolerability, feasibility and efficacy of the HDMTX-based regimen improving the survivalrate in pediatric osteosarcoma cases, in line with reports from developed countries.     

Primary chemotherapy and delayed surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) for osteosarcoma of the extremities. The Istituto Rizzoli Experience in 127 patients treated preoperatively with intravenous methotrexate (high versus moderate doses) and intraarterial cisplatin

Between March 1983 and June 1986 127 patients with localized osteosarcoma of the extremity were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Preoperative chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of methotrexate (MTX) (high or moderate doses) followed by 6 days by cisplatin (CDP). Surgery was an amputation or a rotation plasty, or a limb salvage. Necrosis was good in 52% of cases, fair in 36%, and poor in 12%. Postoperative chemotherapy consisted of Adriamycin (doxorubicin [ADM]) and bleomycin (BCD) for poor responders; and ADM, MTX, and CDP for fair responders. Good responders were treated as fair responders or with only MTX and CDP. At a 47-month follow-up, 66 patients remained continuously disease free and 61 patients developed metastases. Six of these patients had also a local recurrence. According to the grade of necrosis, the cumulative disease-free probability at 5 years was 67% for good responders, 42% for fair responders, and for poor responders 10% at 45 months. According to the doses of MTX, survival at 5 years was 58% for patients who received high doses and 42% for patients treated with moderate doses. No differences in the rate of survivors were observed between amputated patients and patients treated with limb salvage. The authors conclude that (1) a limb salvage procedure is possible in about 70% of cases and as safe as demolitive surgery, if adequate surgical margins are achieved; (2) good responders have a better prognosis than fair and poor responders if postoperative chemotherapy is sufficiently prolonged and also includes ADM; (3) a different postoperative chemotherapy for poor responders did not improve their prognosis; and (4) a multidrug regimen using high doses of MTX is probably more effective than moderate doses.     

Radiation-induced sarcoma

Opinion statement Radiation-induced sarcomas can originate in either the irradiated bone or soft tissues. Most of these tumors are high-grade. The most common histologic subtypes are malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) and osteosarcoma, although other histologies (eg, angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma) can occur. Tumor size and grade are the two most important prognostic factors for soft tissue sarcomas, including those associated with radiation therapy. The therapy is therefore dictated by the risk of distant metastases. High-grade tumors that are larger than 5 cm should be treated with primary chemotherapy followed by a margin-negative surgical excision of the residual disease. All low-grade tumors and high-grade tumors 5 cm or smaller should be treated with a margin-negative surgical excision, and systemic chemotherapy should be considered when a negative margin is difficult or impossible to accomplish. Radiationinduced sarcomas (either MFH or osteosarcoma) originating in bone should be approached with primary chemotherapy followed by a margin-negative excision similar to de novo bone sarcomas. The dose-intensity of the active agents should be adjusted appropriately for the age, performance status, and prior therapy in a given patient.     

A comparison of methods of loco-regional chemotherapy combined with systemic chemotherapy as neo-adjuvant treatment of osteosarcoma of the extremity.

AIM: Our experience of pre-operative intraarterial (i.a.) vs intravenous (i.v.) infusion of cisplatinum (CDP) in a multiagent neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma of the extremity is reported. METHODS: Two successive randomized studies were performed. In the first, pre-operatively, CDP i.a. vs CDP i.v. was applied in combination with high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) and adriamycin (ADM) within a three-drug regimen. In the second, a combination of HDMTX, ADM and IFO, within a four-drug regimen was tested. RESULTS: The rate of responses to chemotherapy (tumour necrosis > or = 90%) was significantly higher (P<0.04) for the 142 patients treated with the four-drug regimen than in the 79 patients treated with a three-drug regimen (76%vs 62%). According to the route of CDP infusion, in the three-drug regimen the rate of responses was significantly higher (P=0.004) in patients treated with i.a. CDP (77%) than in patients treated i.v. (46%); with the four-drug regimen the rate of response was not significantly different in patients treated i.a. (81%) and in patients treated i.v. (71%). No significant differences in the rates of limb salvages, local recurrence and event-free survival (EFS) were seen between the i.a. and the i.v. groups. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of osteosarcoma of the extremity, the i.a. infusion of CDP does not offer any significant advantage when this drug is used within an aggressive, multiagent, pre-operative four-drug regimen. Copyright Harcourt Publishers Limited.     

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Osseous Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of the Extremity: Results in 18 Cases and Comparison with 112 Contemporary Osteosarcoma Patients Treated with the Same Chemotherapy Regimen

Abstract

Eigthteen patients with high grade malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone and 112 patients with high grade osteosarcoma (OS) of the extremity were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy comprised of methotrexate, cisplatinum, doxorubicin and ifosfamide. For the 18 patients with MFH, surgery involved amputation in 2 cases and limb salvage in 16 (89%); the 112 osteosarcoma patients had amputation in 8 cases and limb salvage procedure in 104 cases (93%). The rate of good histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy (90% or more tumor necrosis) was significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma than in patients with MFH (74% vs 28%; p<0.003). However, at a median follow-up of 38 months (range 25-61), the 3-year event-free survival (EFS) did not differ in the two groups (MFH 77.8%, OS 70.5%; p=ns). In patients with MFH, no local recurrences were registered, whereas in the osteosarcoma group there were 6 local relapses (5.%).

The effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of osteosarcoma has been assessed during the last 15 years. The results of the present study seem to indicate that, in spite of a usually poor histologic response to preoperative treatment, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is very effective also in MFH of bone.     

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Extremity Osteosarcoma: Preliminary Results of the Rizzoli's 4th Study

A neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocol (1/93-1/95) for extremity osteosarcoma preoperatively using high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) as single agent per cycle and three different combinations of other drugs (CDP/IFO,CDP/ADM,IFO/ADM) is reported. The four drugs were used postoperatively as single agents. Treatment was uniform, but suspended earlier if total necrosis was attained. An improvement was found in the results of the previous study using only IFO postoperatively, with 16/119 patients (97%) avoiding amputation, and 38 (32%) attaining complete necrosis. At a 3-year (2-4 years) mean follow-up, 92 patients (76%) remained continuously disease-free, 2 died of chemotherapy-related toxicity and 25 suffered relapse. Projected 3-year DFS also improved (75% vs. 60%; p=0.04). Despite limb salvage, local recurrences (6.3%) and infections were few, although postoperative chemotherapy was restarted within a week. Therefore, until new effective drugs are found, expertise in using the four known drugs may improve cure rate and help to avoid amputation in almost all patients.     

Influence of Adriamycin Dose in the Outcome of Patients with Osteosarcoma Treated with Multidrug Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Results of Two Sequential Studies

Summary

The results of two sequential studies of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma of the extremities performed at Rizzoli Institute between 1986 and 1991 in 228 patients are presented. In both studies preoperative chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of high dose methotrexate (HDMTX), cisplatinum (CDP) and adriamycin (ADM). Postoperatively the good responder patients were treated with the same drugs used before surgery while in the poor responder patients ifosfamide was added to these three drugs. The preoperative treatment was the same in both studies while after surgery in the second protocol either the cumulative dose of ADM (270 mg/m² instead of 360 mg/m²) or the single dose per cycle of this drug (60 mg/m² instead of 90 mg/m²) was reduced. These changes in the last protocol were done to reduce the cardiotoxicity of ADM that was high in the first study (2 deaths and 1 heart transplantation). Since in the last protocol – in comparison with the first protocol – after surgery chemotherapy was restarted earlier and ADM was administered not as a single drug but in combination with the CDP the dose intensity of ADM was unchanged while the dose intensity of MTX, CDP and ifosfamide was higher than in the first study. The preliminary results of the 84 patients treated in the second study show a 2-year disease free survival significantly lower than that achieved in the 144 patients treated in the first study (37/51 – 73% vs 123/144 – 85%: P < 0.008). In addition, even if in the last study there were no cases of clinical cardiotoxicity due to ADM, there was a significantly higher percentage of severe myelodepression that led to two deaths for infectious complications. These results suggest that in neoadjuvant treatment of osteosarcoma the total dose of ADM and/or the single dose per cycle of the same drug are an important determinant of outcome and that increasing the dose-intensity of less toxic but less active agents, MTX, CDP and ifosfamide, at the expense of the more active and more toxic agent, ADM, can lead to a poorer outcome without reducing toxicity.     

Primary chemotherapy and delayed surgery for malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone in the extremity

Between March 1983 and September 1988, 22 patients with non-metastatic malignant fibrous histiocytoma MFH of bone of the extremities were treated with two regimens of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy successively activated. Preoperatively, the patients received moderate doses of methotrexate and cisplatinum-Regimen 1- or high dose methotrexate, cisplatinum and adriamycin-Regimen 2. Cisplatinum was delivered intraarteriously, the other drugs intravenously. Limb salvage surgery was performed in 20 patients, and 2 patients were amputated. The surgical margins were adequate (radical or wide) in 18 cases and inadequate (marginal) in 4. The histologic response to chemotherapy was good (90% or more tumor necrosis) in 8 patients. In both regimens postoperative chemotherapy was tailored according to the grade of necrosis determined by preoperative treatment on the primary tumor. At an average follow-up of 40 months (15-70), 15 patients (68%) remained continuously disease-free and 7 relapsed with metastases. No local recurrences were observed. Regimen 2 was slightly more effective than Regimen 1 in terms of good histologic response (5/10 vs 1/12) and continuous disease-free survival (8/10 vs 7/127). The results demonstrate that, as in osteosarcoma, in non-metastatic malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone in the extremities a high percentage of patients can be cured with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and that in most of them limb sparing surgery is possible and safe.     

Long-term follow-up and post-relapse survival in patients with non-metastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Background: Most of the studies of the treatment of non-metastaticosteosarcoma of the extremity have reported results in terms of probabilityof survival up to five years with a minimum follow-up of less than two tothree years. Definition of reliable indicators of prognosis and predictivefactors for survival require mature data derived from a long-term survivalanalysis.Patients and methods: A review of 127 patients with non-metastaticosteosarcoma of the extremity, treated between March 1983 and June 1986, wasperformed. The treatment protocol consisted of primary chemotherapy with MTX(randomization to high vs. moderate dosages) and CDP followed by surgery.Postoperatively, patients with <60% tumor necrosis received ADMand BCD; those with tumor necrosis 60% < 90% (FairResponders FR) were given MTX, CDP and ADM. Up to January 1984, patientswith tumor necrosis >90% received MTX and CDP only, and after thenthey were given the same treatment as for FR. A multivariate analysis totest predictive factors for survival was performed.Results: With a median follow-up of 134 months (range 114–153), the12-year DFS was 46%. A good histologic response, an LDH baselinevalue within the normal range, and the use of high-dose MTX were positivepredictive factors for DFS. With a median time of observation for survivorsof 130 months, the 12-year overall survival was 53%. None of thepatients who relapsed with local or distant recurrences other than lungmetastasis are now alive. Patients with a relapse-free interval longer than24 months had a significantly better post-relapse survival than those with ashorter relapse-free interval (40% vs. 7%; P = 0.0159). All ofthe patients who were not surgically treated had disease progression anddied within 40 months after the first recurrence. The surgically-treatedpatients had a 30% post-relapse survival probability.Conclusions: In non-metastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity,chemotherapy-induced tumor necrosis, the baseline LDH serum value and the useof HDMTX are significant predictive factors for DFS. The relapse-free intervaland the possibility of metastasectomy are significant factors conditioning thepost-relapse survival.     

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma of the extremity: long-term results of the Rizzoli's 4th protocol

From January 1993 to March 1995, 162 patients with osteosarcoma of extremities were treated according to the IOR/OS-4 protocol. 133 patients had localised disease, while 29 had metastases at diagnosis. These last patients were simultaneously operated upon for their primary and metastatic lesions. Chemotherapy consisted preoperatively of two cycles of high dose methotrexate (HDMTX) and one cycle each of cisplatin (CDP)-doxorubicin (ADM), CDP/ifosfamide (IFO) and IFO/ADM. After surgery, patients were treated with the aforementioned drugs used as single agents. The mean follow-up of all patients was 6.5 years (5.5-8 years). Surgery was a limb salvage in 94% of cases, and the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 56 and 71% for patients with localised disease, and 17 and 24% for patients with metastases at diagnosis. These results did not differ from those achieved in our previous study (IOR/OS-3) in which IFO was used only postoperatively in poor responders.     

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high grade osteosarcoma of the extremities: long-term results for patients treated according to the Rizzoli IOR/OS-3b protocol

The results of the Rizzoli IOR/OS-3b neoadjuvant protocol for the treatment of osteosarcoma of the extremity are reported. Preoperative chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX i.v.), followed by a combination of cisplatin (CDP i.a.)/ doxorubicin (ADM i.v.). Postoperatively all patients, regardless of the histologic response, received 3 more cycles of MTX, CDP/ADM alternated with 3 cycles of ifosfamide. In the study performed between January and December 1992 43 patients were enrolled and limb salvage was performed in 39 of them (91%). The histologic response to chemotherapy was good (90% or more tumor necrosis) in 24 patients (56%) and poor (less than 90% tumor necrosis) in 19 (44%). With a minimum follow-up of 7 years, 23 pts (53%) remained continuously free of disease, 19 relapsed and one died due to unrelated cause. In spite of the high number of limb salvages performed, only 2 local recurrences were registered. The 7-year event-free survival and overall survival were, respectively, 53% and 68%. The hematopoietic and extrahematopoietic toxicity experienced by the patients during the entire treatment was relatively mild. These long-term results confirm that, with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it is possible to cure more than 60% of patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities, avoiding amputation in most of them. These results, however, are no better than those achieved in our previous study IOR/OS-3a, in which only poor responder patients received ifosfamide during the postoperative treatment.     

乳腺癌的TECIA法药敏试验及其临床应用价值

目的探讨组织培养-终点染色计算机图像分析（TECIA）法体外肿瘤药敏试验对乳腺癌化疗的临床应用价值。方法选取2005年9月至2008年9月本院手术的46例乳腺癌标本,采用TECIA法进行化疗药物敏感性的体外检测。所测药物为乳腺癌常用化疗药物紫杉醇（PTX）、诺维本（NVB）、多柔比星（ADM）、氨甲喋呤（MTX）、5-氟脲嘧啶（5-FU）、顺铂（DDP）及联合化疗TA（PTX＋ADM）、NP（NVB＋DDP）、CAF（CTX＋ADM＋5-FU）、CMF（CTx＋MTX＋5-FU）方案。化疗药物敏感性差异的比较,采用多个样本率的χ^2检验。结果46例乳腺癌对化疗药物的敏感性为：PTX60．9％（28／46）、NVB58．7％（27／46）、ADM56．5％（27／46）、MTX37．0％（17／46）、5-FU 34．8％（16／46）、DDP26．1％（12／46）;PTX、NVB、ADM、MTX之间及5-FU和DDP之间比较,敏感率差异均无统计学意义（χ^2=6．724,P=0．081;χ^2=0．821,P=0．365）,PTX、NVB比5-FU、DDP的敏感率高,其差异有统计学意义（P〈0．003）;TA、NP、CAF和CMF方案的敏感率分别为71．7％（33／46）、67．4％（31／46）、45．7%（21／46）、39．1％（18／46）,但TA与NP方案、CAF与CMF方案比较,差异无统计学意义（P〉0．007）;TA和NP方案比CAF和CMF方案的敏感率高,其差异有统计学意义（P〈0．007）。PTX、NVB及含有此类药物的联合化疗方案的敏感性较高,化疗药物敏感性存在个体差异。结论TECIA法体外肿瘤药敏试验在乳腺癌的化疗用药方面具有指导意义。     

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for High Grade Osteosarcoma of the Extremities: Long-Term Results for Patients Treated According to the Rizzoli IOR/OS-3b Protocol

Abstract

The results of the Rizzoli IOR/OS-3b neoadjuvant protocol for the treatment of osteosarcoma of the extremity are reported. Preoperative chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX i.v.), followed by a combination of cisplatin (CDP i.a.)/ doxorubicin (ADM i.v.). Postoperatively all patients, regardless of the histologic response, received 3 more cycles of MTX, CDP/ADM alternated with 3 cycles of ifosfamide. In the study performed between January and December 1992 43 patients were enrolled and limb salvage was performed in 39 of them (91%). The histologic response to chemotherapy was good (90% or more tumor necrosis) in 24 patients (56%) and poor (less than 90% tumor necrosis) in 19 (44%). With a minimum follow-up of 7 years, 23 pts (53%) remained continuously free of disease, 19 relapsed and one died due to unrelated cause. In spite of the high number of limb salvages performed, only 2 local recurrences were registered. The 7-year event-free survival and overall survival were, respectively, 53% and 68%. The hematopoietic and extrahematopoietic toxicity experienced by the patients during the entire treatment was relatively mild.

These long-term results confirm that, with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it is possible to cure more than 60% of patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities, avoiding amputation in most of them. These results, however, are no better than those achieved in our previous study IOR/OS-3a, in which only poor responder patients received ifosfamide during the postoperative treatment.     

Twenty-year follow-up of osteosarcoma of the extremity treated with adjuvant chemotherapy

We have updated the results of an adjuvant chemotherapy study of 106 patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities published 17 years ago, treated by surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with vincristine (VCR), methotrexate (MTX) and doxorubicin (ADM), between 1980-1983, and followed-up for at least 20 years (20-23 years). In comparison with the results reported 17 years ago with a median follow-up of 38 months (range: 27-66), this updated study showed 24 more deaths, 9 more relapses and 3 second malignancies. Consequently, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) are significantly lower compared to the previous study with a 3-year follow up (EFS 38% vs 53%; OS 43.8% vs 67%). We conclude that osteosarcoma patients treated with chemotherapy are at risk of late adverse events. Protracted medical follow-up and long-term updated results are useful to identify, at an early stage, late relapses and late treatment-related complications.     

洛铂联合阿霉素、异环磷酰胺化疗方案新辅助治疗骨肉瘤的剂量探索

目的 探讨洛铂（LBP）联合阿霉素（ADM）、异环磷酰胺（IFO）化疗方案新辅助治疗骨肉瘤的最大耐受量（MTD）,并观察其毒副反应。方法 LBP设定3个剂量水平,分别为45mg／m²、50mg／m²、55mg／m²,ADM和IFO剂量固定（ADM 60mg／m²、IFO 12g／m²）,观察到出现剂量限制性毒性（DLT）即终止试验,或至55mg／m²未出现DLT,试验亦终止。结果 共有6例患者完成了爬坡试验,当试验进行到第1个剂量组时,出现2例DLT,试验终止。从而确定联合化疗方案的MTD为LBP 45mg／m²、ADM 60mg／m²和IFO 12g／m²。主要不良反应为骨髓抑制,血小板减少的发生率为66.6％（4/6）,3级发生率为33.3％（2/6）;白细胞减少的发生率为83.3％（5/6）,未发生4级白细胞减少;中性粒细胞减少的发生率为83.3％（5/6）,4级发生率为33.3％（2/6）。所有患者经对症治疗后均好转,未影响继续治疗。结论 LBP联合ADM、IFO化疗方案新辅助治疗骨肉瘤的MTD为LBP 45mg／m²、ADM 60mg／m²和IFO12g／m²,毒副反应可耐受,建议以此为依据开展进一步临床研究。     

Twenty-Year Follow-Up of Osteosarcoma of the Extremity Treated with Adjuvant Chemotherapy

Abstract

We have updated the results of an adjuvant chemotherapy study of 106 patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities published 17 years ago 1, treated by surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with vincristine (VCR), methotrexate (MTX) and doxorubicin (ADM), between 1980-1983, and followed-up for at least 20 years (20-23 years). In comparison with the results reported 17 years ago with a median fol-low-up of 38 months (range: 27-66), this updated study showed 24 more deaths, 9 more relapses and 3 second malignancies. Consequently, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) are significantly lower compared to the previous study with a 3-year follow up (EFS 38% vs 53%; OS 43.8% vs 67%).

We conclude that osteosarcoma patients treated with chemotherapy are at risk of late adverse events. Protracted medical follow-up and long-term updated results are useful to identify, at an early stage, late relapses and late treatment-related complications.     

Treatment of osteosarcoma of the extremities with the T-10 protocol, with emphasis on the effects of preoperative chemotherapy with single-agent high-dose methotrexate: a Scandinavian Sarcoma Group study.

From 1982 to 1989, 97 patients with extremity-localized, high-grade osteosarcoma were treated according to the T-10 protocol. Two thirds of the patients consisted of the near-complete national patient materials from Norway and Finland. Eighty patients (82%) received four courses of high-dose methotrexate (HD MTX, 8 to 12 g/m2) at weekly intervals as their only preoperative treatment, and 77 patients (79%) were assessable for histologic response grading according to Rosen et al (Cancer 49:1221-1230, 1991). Observed histologic response was no certain chemotherapy effect (grade I) in 21%, grade II effect in 62%, and grade III or IV effect in 17%. Nonresponders had significantly lower serum MTX concentrations after 24 and 48 hours than responders; the significance of the difference at 48 hours was maintained in a multivariate analysis. After a median follow-up of 45 months, projected 5-year overall and relapse-free survival for all patients were 64% and 54%, respectively. Patients with a good response to preoperative chemotherapy (grade III/IV) had a significantly better survival than grade I/II responders, despite a switch to postoperative cisplatin/doxorubicin chemotherapy in the latter group. These results were obtained in a largely nonselected group of patients. We conclude that a good initial chemotherapy effect is important for the final outcome in osteosarcoma, and that HD MTX alone is insufficient preoperative treatment for the majority of patients. The individual MTX excretion rate is of importance for tumor response, suggesting a dose-response relationship for HD MTX treatment.     

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high-grade central osteosarcoma of the extremity. Histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy correlates with histologic subtype of the tumor

BACKGROUND: In primary central high-grade osteosarcoma, a number of distinct subtypes have been identified, but little is known about the response to chemotherapy. METHODS: The authors investigated whether the subtypes correlated with histologic response to chemotherapy in 1058 patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy over the last 20 years. The tumors were classified as osteoblastic (70%), chondroblastic (13%), fibroblastic (9%), and telangiectatic (6%). At diagnosis, 911 patients had localized disease and 147 had resectable lung metastases. RESULTS: The response to preoperative chemotherapy was good (90% or more tumor necrosis) in 59% of patients and poor (< 90% tumor necrosis) in 41% of patients. The rate of good responses was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in the fibroblastic (83%) and telangiectatic (80%) tumors and significantly lower in chondroblastic tumors (43%). Prognosis was significantly correlated with the histologic subtypes. The 5-year overall survival rate was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in fibroblastic (83%) and telangiectatic (75%) tumors than in osteoblastic (62%) and chondroblastic (60%) tumors. In all subtypes, except for the chondroblastic subtype, the 5-year overall survival rate was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in good responders P = 0.0001 (68%) than in poor responders (52%). CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that the histologic subtype of primary central high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremity was strictly correlated with histologic response to chemotherapy and probably, as a consequence, also with prognosis. Further studies are needed to establish whether these results justify a specific therapeutic approach based on the histologic subtype of the tumor.     

Sex- and Age-Related Chemotherapy Toxicity in Patients with Non-Metastatic Osteosarcoma

Abstract

The influence of age and sex on chemotherapy-related toxicity was evaluated in children and adults with non metastatic osteosarcoma. Treatment consisted of methotrexate (MTX, 12 g/m²), cisplatin (CDP 120 mg/m²) and doxorubicin (ADM 75-90 mg/m²) and high-dose ifosfamide (HDIFO). Toxicity data from 1,051 courses (295 with MTX, 756 based on doxorubicin, cisplatin and high-dose ifosfamide) were analyzed. Children (4-14 yrs) and females showed a higher incidence of grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia and were more frequently hospitalized for neutropenic fever compared to adolescents and young adults (AYA, 15-19 yrs) and adults (>20-40 yrs). Delayed MTX excretion was higher in adults than AYA and children. Adults (up to 40 years) can be treated with pediatric protocols for osteosarcoma and they experience lower hematologic toxicity compared to pediatric population. Further investigations on sex-related susceptibility to chemotherapy in osteosarcoma patients are recommended.