Abstract
Purpose: To determine the clinical and functional outcomes of children undergoing limb-sparing therapy for extremity sarcomas. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed 30 patients, age ≤ 21 years, who were treated between l979 and l998 with external beam radiotherapy as a component of limb-sparing therapy for primary sarcomas of the extremity at UCSF. Included were patients for whom complete follow-up and functional outcome assessments were available. We assessed the patterns of failure, overall survival, disease-free survival, local control, and limb function. Results: At a median follow-up of 3 years, 12 of the 30 patients recurred: 3 locally, 8 distantly, and 1 with synchronous local and distant disease as site of first progression. Eighteen patients were alive with no evidence of disease. The median overall survival was 10 years, with a median disease-free survival of 8 years. Functional outcome assessment revealed 15 patients retained excellent, 12 good, 1 fair, and 2 poor limb function. Conclusion: In pediatric patients receiving limb-sparing therapy, 90% maintained excellent or good limb function without compromising survival, demonstrating the validity of limb preservation in children with extremity sarcomas.
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