Intralesional Resection Research Articles

Treatment of an aneurysmal bone cyst of the lumbar spine in children and teenagers, about five cases

The aneurysmal bone cyst is a rare tumor. Its treatment is complex when localized to the lumbar spine, with neurological, mechanical, and tumoral complications. The aim of this study is to describe these tumors, their treatment, and their long-term evolution, as well as to define an appropriate therapeutic strategy. Four of the five cysts had anterior and posterior extension. Three patients had neurological symptoms at diagnosis and two of them presented with pathological fracture. Surgical treatment was performed by intralesional resection. Long-term progress was always favorable, without recurrence or functional limitation. Two patients had a stable, mild spine deformity.

Osteosarcoma of the Mobile Spine

Retrospective case series. Our goal was to assess whether en bloc resection had an impact on survival. Osteogenic sarcoma occurs rarely in the mobile spine, but when it does, the prognosis is poor. Wide resection is recommended for osteogenic sarcoma of the extremities, but wide resection is difficult and often dangerous in the spine. The goal of this study was to examine whether en bloc removal of osteogenic sarcomas in the mobile spine improves survival. We performed a retrospective review of all cases of high-grade, osteogenic sarcoma of the mobile spine treated with high-dose methotrexate and adrimaycin-based chemotherapy between 1985 through 2005. There were 9 male patients and 8 female patients. Patients were followed for a median of 38 months or until death, and surviving patients were followed for a minimum of 6.4 years. Patients were grouped on the basis of whether they underwent en bloc spondylectomy. The Enneking stage and Weinstein, Boriani, and Biagini stage, as well as the pre- and postoperative Frankel grades, were collected on all patients. Local recurrence and metastasis data were collected for all patients. Overall survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier methods with the log rank test utilized to evaluate the effect of en bloc resection on survival. Twelve (71%) of 17 patients with osteogenic sarcoma of the mobile spine died. Median disease-specific survival for the entire cohort was 38.1 months (standard error 29.6; 95% confidence interval 0-96). Nine patients underwent en bloc resection. Median overall survival for patients after en bloc resection was 77.3 months (standard error 62; 95% confidence interval 96) versus 17 months (standard error 6.5; 95% confidence interval 4-29.6) (P = 0.09). Eleven (65%) of 17 patients developed pulmonary metastasis, and 9 of those 11 died from their disease (P = 0.04). Six (35%) patients developed a local recurrence, and all 6 died from their disease (P = 0.07). Osteogenic sarcoma of the mobile spine presents a significant challenge, and most patients die from their disease in spite of aggressive surgery and chemotherapy. Metastastic disease is associated with a worse prognosis. There is a trend toward improved survival with en bloc resection when compared with intralesional resection. Osteogenic sarcoma of the mobile spine is rare and historically has a very poor prognosis. We reviewed our cases of osteogenic sarcoma of the mobile spine to assess whether modern en bloc resection improved survival. Survival remains poor, but there is a trend toward improved survival with en bloc resection.

Giant Cell Tumor of the Mobile Spine

This is a retrospective review of 49 cases of giant cell tumor (GCT) of the mobile spine treated surgically. Our goal was to determine which factors influenced local recurrence. GCT is a benign, locally aggressive tumor that rarely occurs in the spine. The management of local recurrence can be challenging. We performed a retrospective analysis of GCTs of the mobile spine managed between 1970 and 2005. Median follow-up was 145 months with a minimum of 2 years or until death. We used the Kaplan-Meier method to test whether Enneking stage, surgery type, and surgical margin had statistically significant impact on local recurrence. The log rank test was used for comparison, and a P value of less than 0.05 was deemed significant. Of the 49 patients, 11 (22%) local recurrences occurred. The latest recurrence occurred at 60 months. Age less than 25 years was associated with a worse relapse-free survival (P = 0.03). En bloc resection was associated with better local control with Enneking stage III tumors (P = 0.01); however, intralesional resection provided adequate control of Enneking stage II tumors. There were 6 (12%) cases of metastasis, and 2 patients died from the progression of their disease. One patient died from the complications of the surgery. En bloc resection should be considered for Enneking stage III GCTs of the mobile spine. The choice of en bloc resection must be balanced with the inherent risks of the procedure. Intralesional resection of Enneking stage II tumors provides adequate local control. Patients should be followed for at least 5 years because local relapse can occur late.

Chondrosarcoma of the Mobile Spine

Retrospective case series. To determine the effect of modern surgical and aggressive radiation techniques on outcome in patients with spinal chondrosarcoma. Chondrosarcoma of the spine presents a difficult surgical challenge. Surgical excision is considered the standard of care, yet complete excision is not always feasible, and rates of local control and survival are inferior to those reported for the extremities. We performed a retrospective review of cases of chondrosarcoma involving the spine above the sacrum treated surgically at our institution between 1984 and 2006. Medical charts, radiology reports, pathology reports, and operative notes were reviewed for all patients. Available imaging studies were also reviewed. The Student t test and Fisher exact test were used to compare baseline differences between groups. Survivorship analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier methodology. Overall survival was calculated on the basis of en bloc resection, margins, local recurrence, and metastasis. Twenty-one patients were treated surgically for chondrosarcoma of the mobile spine. Twenty of the 21 patients were also treated with radiation with a mean dose of 71 Gy (range, 53-83). The average overall survival for all patients in our series was 120.5 months (SE = 32.9; range, 8.5-298.9 months). The 1- and 5-year survival rates for all patients were 90% and 61%, respectively. Patients treated with en bloc resection had a better overall survival (198 months: SE = 24.5; range, 24-224.7 months) than those who underwent intralesional excision (77 months: SE = 27.3; range, 8.5-298.9 months) (P = 0.05). Five (24%) patients developed local recurrence and 9 (43%) developed metastasis. All recurrences occurred in patients who underwent intralesional resection. Metastasis, high-grade tumor, and positive surgical margins were associated with worse overall survival (P < 0.001, 0.02, and 0.04, respectively). In this series, en bloc resection, the absence of metastasis, low-grade tumors, and negative margins were associated with improved overall survival. The aggressive use of sophisticated surgical and radiation techniques appears to confer an advantage to patients, decreasing local recurrence and increasing overall survival, even following incomplete surgical resection.

Multilevel en bloc spondylectomy in malignant tumours of the spine: a technical note

BackgroundSingle level en bloc spondylectomy has become a standardised surgical procedure among spinal tumour surgeons. Multilevel spondylectomies, however, remain a challenge due to the complex nature of the procedure.MethodsFifteen multilevel en bloc spondylectomies were performed between 1998 and 2010 in patients with primary tumours of the spine in two spine centres. In all but two cases, a combined posterior and anterior technique was applied. There were four 2-level, eight 3-level, one 4-level, one 5-level and one 6-level spondylectomies.ResultsAfter an average follow-up of 39 months three patients had died of the disease, one patient was alive with disease and 11 patients had no evidence of disease. In total, five resections were intralesional, all five patients had had previous piecemeal resection. In the remaining cases, wide (n=4) or marginal (n=6) resection was accomplished. In total, there were five revisions in three patients, mainly due to local recurrence. One patient in a 6-level spondylectomy sustained an irreversible ischemic paraplegia. In two patients with a four and/or five level spondylectomy there was a transient paraparesis that recovered to Frankel D in both cases.ConclusionsMultilevel en bloc spondylectomy is technically feasible and enables wide or marginal resection of malignant lesions of the spine in most cases with an acceptable morbidity. Resection of four levels or more is associated with an increased neurological risk. Previous intralesional surgery resulting in intralesional resection, local recurrence and poor histologic response are associated with a poor prognosis.

En Bloc Excisions of Chordomas in the Cervical Spine

Retrospective case series of five consecutive patients. To determine the oncological outcomes and morbidity rates after en bloc excisions of cervical chordomas. Studies have demonstrated that en bloc surgical excision of chordoma with negative margins results in improved local disease control and survival compared with intralesional resections. Chordomas arising from the cervical spine are rare and they present unique challenges for en bloc tumor excision. We present a series of five consecutive cases of cervical chordoma managed with en bloc tumor excision, which represents one of the largest surgical experiences of cervical chordomas reported to date. A retrospective review of our institutional spine tumor database identified five consecutive patients who underwent en bloc tumor excision for cervical spine chordoma from 2000 to 2007. We analyze their surgical margins, perioperative complications, tumor recurrence rate, and survival. Our review demonstrated that dysphagia and cervicalgia were the most common presenting symptoms for cervical chordoma. The mean age of diagnosis in this cohort was 52.4 years and our mean follow-up is 54.7 months. All five patients required multistage procedures to achieve en bloc tumor excision. Independent analysis of the surgical margins by the pathologists revealed that marginal en bloc excisions were achieved in all five patients. Our 30-day perioperative complication was significant for one case of transient radiculopathy with paresis and one wound infection. Other long-term complications included three cases with pseudoarthrosis with instrumentation failures requiring surgical revisions. There were no neurological or cerebrovascular complications. The mean disease-free survival after en bloc spondylectomy for cervical chordoma was 84.2 months in this cohort. En bloc excision of chordoma, whether wide or marginal, is the most ideal for treatment to prolong disease-free survival. En bloc excisions of chordomas in the cervical spine are technically complex procedures but can be performed with acceptable safety and perioperative morbidity.

Synovial sarcoma in patients under 20 years of age: A multicenter study with a minimum follow-up of 10 years

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an aggressive soft-tissue tumor noted for late local recurrence and metastasis. This study investigates the long-term outcome of SS in patients of pediatric age and evaluates potential prognostic factors for SS. We performed a retrospective review of 13 SS cases in patients younger than 20years at the time of diagnosis who had a minimum follow-up of 10years. The mean follow-up for living patients (n=8) was 20.1years (12.1-27.6) and for nonsurvivors (n=5) 4.9years (range: 2.6-9.3). Nine patients had unplanned excisions (69%), of which 6 (67%) were performed prior to their referral. Re-excisions were necessary in all 13 patients. The factors sex, tumor site, tumor size, tumor grade, histological subtype, fusion type, and type of treatment were evaluated for their prognostic value. Only 2 patients (15%) met the criteria of adequate tumor treatment. Overall, the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 77 and 61%, respectively. The mean time until a local recurrence (n=5) was 3.2years (range: 0.7-10.2), while there was a mean time of 2.1years until the occurrence of late metastases (n=5; range: 0.8-4.8). A high tumor grade and having a tumor in the trunk were adverse factors in terms of overall, local recurrence-free, and metastasis-free survival. Patients with wide resections or amputations had fewer local recurrences than patients with marginal or intralesional resections. Inadequate primary excision of SS results in incomplete excision in the majority of cases. The tumor site, size, and histological grade should be considered when determining a risk-adapted treatment for SS, and wide surgical excision is the surgical intervention of choice. While local recurrence and late metastases appear to occur after a shorter time period in pediatric patients than in adults, in view of the tendency for late recurrence and metastasis with SS, follow-up should be at least 10years.

Resultado do acompanhamento clínico-radiológico pós-cirúrgico do condroblastoma

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o resultado clínico e radiológico, a longo prazo, de pacientes submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico do condroblastoma, entre 2003 e 2009, pela mesma equipe cirúrgica e empregando a mesma técnica operatória. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo retrospectivo de 12 pacientes com diagnóstico histológico de condroblastoma, atendidos entre 2003 e 2009, na Fundação Pio XII (Hospital de Câncer de Barretos - Barretos, SP) e submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico com ressecção intralesional, adjuvância com eletrocauterização e substituição por metilmetacrilato (11 casos) ou enxerto ósseo autólogo de crista ilíaca (um caso). A avaliação pré-operatória incluía exame físico, radiografias simples do local, ressonância nuclear magnética ou tomografia axial computadorizada local, além de cintilografia óssea. Os pacientes foram avaliados clínica e radiologicamente, segundo protocolo predefinido, com radiografias seriadas e avaliação funcional, conforme o escore funcional de Enneking. RESULTADOS: A idade média do diagnóstico foi de 14A e 4M, sendo o local preferencial de acometimento a epífise distal do fêmur (75%), seguido pela tíbia proximal (16,6%) e calcâneo (8,4%). Houve prevalência maior no sexo masculino em relação ao sexo feminino (3:1). Em três casos houve necessidade prévia de biópsia. Durante o seguimento, não evidenciamos recidiva local do tumor e todos os pacientes apresentaram excelente resultado funcional, com escore de Enneking entre 20 e 30, com a técnica cirúrgica empregada. CONCLUSÃO: O tratamento cirúrgico do condroblastoma, com ressecção intralesional, uso de adjuvância, com eletrocauterização e substituição por metilmetacrilato ou enxerto ósseo produz bons resultados.

RESULTS FROM CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL FOLLOW-UP, AFTER SURGICAL TREATMENT OF CHONDROBLASTOMA

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term clinical and radiological results from patients who underwent surgical treatment of chondroblastoma, between 2003 and 2009, by the same surgical team, using the same operative technique. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 12 patients with histological diagnoses of chondroblastoma, who were attended between 2003 and 2009 at the Pius XII Foundation (Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, State of São Paulo). These patients underwent surgical treatment with intralesional resection of the tumor, adjuvant electrocauterization and replacement with methyl methacrylate (11 cases) or an autologous graft from the iliac crest (one case). The preoperative evaluation included physical examination, plain radiographs of the site, magnetic resonance imaging, computed axial tomography and bone scintigraphy. The patients were assessed clinically and radiologically according to a predefined protocol, with a series of plain radiographs, and a functional assessment in accordance with the Enneking functional score. Results: The average age at the time of diagnosis was 14 years and 4 months. The most frequent location affected was the distal femoral epiphysis (75%), followed by the proximal tibial epiphysis (16.6%) and the calcaneus (8.4%). There was higher prevalence among the female patients than among the male patients (3:1). In three cases, preoperative biopsy was necessary. During the follow-up, there was no evidence of local tumor recurrence, and all the patients presented an excellent functional result from the surgical technique used, with Enneking scores ranging from 20 to 30. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of chondroblastoma, using intralesional resection, adjuvant electrocauterization and replacement with methyl methacrylate or bone graft produced good results.

Fixation of pathological humeral fractures by the cemented plate technique

Pathological fractures of the humerus are associated with pain, morbidity, loss of function and a diminished quality of life. We report our experience of stabilising these fractures using polymethylmethacrylate and non-locking plates. We undertook a retrospective review over 20 years of patients treated at a tertiary musculoskeletal oncology centre. Those who had undergone surgery for an impending or completed pathological humeral fracture with a diagnosis of metastatic disease or myeloma were identified from our database. There were 63 patients (43 men, 20 women) in the series with a mean age of 63 years (39 to 87). All had undergone intralesional curettage of the tumour followed by fixation with intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate and plating. Complications occurred in 14 patients (22.2%) and seven (11.1%) required re-operation. At the latest follow-up, 47 patients (74.6%) were deceased and 16 (25.4%) were living with a mean follow-up of 75 months (1 to 184). A total of 54 (86%) patients had no or mild pain and 50 (80%) required no or minimal assistance with activities of daily living. Of the 16 living patients none had pain and all could perform activities of daily living without assistance. Intralesional resection of the tumour, filling of the cavity with cement, and plate stabilisation of the pathological fracture gives immediate rigidity and allows an early return of function without the need for bony union. The patient's local disease burden is reduced, which may alleviate tumour-related pain and slow the progression of the disease. The cemented-plate technique provides a reliable option for the treatment of pathological fractures of the humerus.

Long-term Results

A cross-sectional study. The purpose of this report is to define the role of postoperative radiotherapy in the prevention of local recurrence (LR). Sacrococcygeal chordoma is a slow growing, malignant tumor with a clinical poor outcome due to a high LR rate. Several studies emphasize that margin-free tumor resection is the most important predictor of LR. However, even after extralesional resection a high LR up to 80% remains. A retrospective series of 15 patients who underwent surgical treatment for sacrococcygeal chordoma in one center between 1981 and 2003 was reviewed. Overall survival and continuous disease-free survival rates were compared between patients with intralesional resection with standard radiotherapy and patients with extralesional resection and no standard radiotherapy. The median age at surgery was 53 years. The mean follow-up was 7 years or until death. Mean duration of preoperative complaints was 3 years. In 10 patients, an en bloc resection was (histologic resection margins were free) performed and in 5 patients, an intralesional resection was achieved. All but one patients with intralesional resection received radiotherapy (>50 Gy) and patients with extralesional resection only received radiotherapy in case of LR (6 of 10 patients). After extralesional resection (no initial radiotherapy), all 10 patients had LR of the tumor with a mean time to recurrence of 2 years. Six of these ten patients received radiotherapy after LR and had mean survival duration of 7 years. Only one (of five patients) in the group with intralesional resection and postoperative radiotherapy had LR after 11 years. The time to recurrence was significantly longer and we found a trend toward a longer overall survival in the group that received immediate radiotherapy after surgery. The results support the strategy to add radiotherapy as standard adjuvant therapy to sacrococcygeal chordoma tumor resection.

WEE1 inhibition sensitizes osteosarcoma to radiotherapy

BackgroundThe use of radiotherapy in osteosarcoma (OS) is controversial due to its radioresistance. OS patients currently treated with radiotherapy generally are inoperable, have painful skeletal metastases, refuse surgery or have undergone an intralesional resection of the primary tumor. After irradiation-induced DNA damage, OS cells sustain a prolonged G2 cell cycle checkpoint arrest allowing DNA repair and evasion of cell death. Inhibition of WEE1 kinase leads to abrogation of the G2 arrest and could sensitize OS cells to irradiation induced cell death.MethodsWEE1 expression in OS was investigated by gene-expression data analysis and immunohistochemistry of tumor samples. WEE1 expression in OS cell lines and human osteoblasts was investigated by Western blot. The effect of WEE1 inhibition on the radiosensitivity of OS cells was assessed by cell viability and caspase activation analyses after combination treatment. The presence of DNA damage was visualized using immunofluorescence microscopy. Cell cycle effects were investigated by flow cytometry and WEE1 kinase regulation was analyzed by Western blot.ResultsWEE1 expression is found in the majority of tested OS tissue samples. Small molecule drug PD0166285 inhibits WEE1 kinase activity. In the presence of WEE1-inhibitor, irradiated cells fail to repair their damaged DNA, and show higher levels of caspase activation. The inhibition of WEE1 effectively abrogates the irradiation-induced G2 arrest in OS cells, forcing the cells into premature, catastrophic mitosis, thus enhancing cell death after irradiation treatment.ConclusionWe show that PD0166285, a small molecule WEE1 kinase inhibitor, can abrogate the G2 checkpoint in OS cells, pushing them into mitotic catastrophe and thus sensitizing OS cells to irradiation-induced cell death. This suggests that WEE1 inhibition may be a promising strategy to enhance the radiotherapy effect in patients with OS.

Giant cell tumors of the sacrum treated with intralesional resection and radiotherapy: a case series and review of the literature

Background Giant cell tumors (GCT) are relatively rare neoplasms, representing less than 5% of all bone tumors. They are most frequent in the extremities and are characterized by their local aggression. Treatment is typically surgery alone. Localization in the sacrum is rare, and here radiation therapy (RT) may be a useful tool for tumor management because of the difficulty of achieving accurate wide margins of surgical resection. We report a series of four cases treated by intralesional resection and RT.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Intralesional Versus Wide Resection for Intramedullary Grade I Chondrosarcoma of the Extremities

The surgical management of grade I intramedullary chondrosarcoma of bone remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data to determine the oncologic outcomes of intralesional versus wide resection for grade I intramedullary chondrosarcoma. Literature searches were performed through Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database. Cohort studies in which one patient group with grade I chondrosarcoma underwent wide resection and one underwent intralesional curettage were included. Two reviewers independently assessed all eligible papers with the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for Cohort Studies. The outcome measures were the pooled odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for the risk of local recurrence and metastasis calculated through the random-effects method. Five eligible studies were identified including a total of 190 patients, 78 of whom underwent intralesional resection and 112 of whom underwent wide resection. Only one pelvic lesion was identified, which underwent wide resection. There were a total of five local recurrences and three metastases. The risk for local recurrence and metastasis did not differ significantly between the two groups, with an odds ratio for intralesional resection of 2.26 (95% confidence interval, 0.41-12.62) and 0.44 (95% confidence interval, 0.04-5.21) respectively. Intralesional curettage as an alternative to wide resection for extrapelvic grade I chondrosarcoma of bone does not greatly increase the risk for local recurrence or metastasis. Overall effect estimates, however, should be interpreted with caution as a result of the relatively small number of events.

Giant Cell Tumor of the Pes Anserine Bursa (Extra-Articular Pigmented Villonodular Bursitis): A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare, benign, proliferating disease affecting the synovium of joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths. Involvement of bursa (PVNB, pigmented villonodular bursitis) is the least common, and only few cases of exclusively extra-articular PVNB of the pes anserinus bursa have been reported so far. We report a case of extra-articular pes anserine PVNB along with a review of the literature. The lesion presented as a painful soft tissue mass in the medial part of the proximal leg. A magnetic resonance imaging showed areas of low to intermediate signals in all sequences and the lesion enhanced heterogeneously with contrast. Diagnosis was confirmed by an incisional biopsy, and an intralesional resection was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient is free of disease with no functional deficit at 2 years followup. As with other rare lesions, clinical and radiographic findings in addition to histological examination are essential for correct diagnosis.

Chirurgische Therapieoptionen primärer und sekundärer Tumoren der Wirbelsäule

While primary tumours of the spine are rare, the spine is the most common site in the skeletal system for metastases. Depending on resectability, type of tumour and existing or pending neurological deficits, surgical options are en-bloc-resection, intralesional resection, palliative decompression and stabilisation (as a rule also palliative) or vertebro- and kyphoplasties (augmentation with bone cement). Scoring systems can help to determine the life expectancy and subsequently influence the choice of options; nevertheless each decision has to be made on an individual basis and should be the result of an interdisciplinary approach together with radiotherapists and oncologists.

Hamatum osteoblastoma

We report the case of an osteoblastoma of the hamate bone that was successfully treated by curettage. This tumor is very rare in a carpal bone and only nine cases have been reported in the literature. Pathological examination is mandatory before treatment due to the lack of distinctive clinical and radiological features. Osteoblastomas are benign, but potentially aggressive bone tumors. Treatment of the lesion may either be a conservative "intralesional resection" or radical "wide en bloc resection". The latter option, which has non-negligible functional consequences in the wrist, should be reserved for recurrence after curettage but may also be considered a primary immediate alternative for aggressive forms.

Photodynamic therapy with acridine orange in musculoskeletal sarcomas

Limb salvage involving wide resection and reconstruction is now well established for managing musculoskeletal sarcomas. However, involvement of major nerves and vessels with a large volume of muscle and skin may result in a useless limb, contributing to depression and a low quality of life. We have been studying alternative treatments for musculoskeletal sarcoma since 1990, and have recently established a regime using photodynamic surgery with cells labelled with acridine orange, photodynamic therapy with cells treated similarly and radiodynamic treatment using the effect of X-rays on such cells. These techniques have been used after marginal or intralesional resection of tumours since 1999 and have enabled maintenance of excellent limb function in patients with sarcomas.

Clinical outcomes of minimally invasive surgery using acridine orange for musculoskeletal sarcomas around the forearm, compared with conventional limb salvage surgery after wide resection

We recently developed and established a new surgical therapy combining photodynamic surgery and radiodynamic therapy using acridine orange (AO) therapy after marginal or intralesional tumor resection, providing excellent limb function to sarcoma patients. The present study evaluated local recurrence rate and limb function using Disability of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score of patients with primary musculoskeletal sarcoma around the forearm treated with AO therapy, compared to that of patients treated with conventional wide resection. Subjects were 18 patients with primary musculoskeletal sarcoma around the forearm and treated with AO therapy (AO: n = 8) after marginal or intralesional resection, or conventional wide resection followed by limb reconstruction surgery (WR: n = 10). Mean age of the 18 patients was 45 years, and mean durations of follow-up for Groups AO and WR were 67 and 74.1 months. Local recurrence rates for AO and WR were 12.5% and 20% (P = 0.63), DASH disability scores were 3.9 and 21 (P = 0.04), and 5-year survival rates were 100% and 90% (P = 0.40), respectively. AO therapy offers maintenance of excellent upper limb function and inhibition of local tumor recurrence, representing a useful modality for limb salvage surgery in patients with sarcoma around the forearm.

Chondrosarcoma of Bone: Lessons From 46 Operated Cases in a Single Institution

Bone chondrosarcomas are rare malignant tumors that have variable biologic behavior, and their treatment is controversial. For low-grade tumors, there is no consensus on whether intralesional en bloc resections are the best treatment. We therefore compared patients with Grade 1 and Grade 2 primary central chondrosarcomas to (1) determine difference in survival and (2) local recurrence rates; and (3) determine any association of histological grade with some clinical and demographic characteristics. We retrospectively reviewed 46 patients with grade 1 and 2 chondrosarcomas. There were 25 men and 21 women with a mean age of 43 years (range, 17-79 years). Minimum followup was 32 months (mean, 99 months; range, 32-312 months) for the patients who remained alive in the end of the study. Twenty-three of the tumors were intracompartmental (Enneking A); of these, 19 were Grade 1 and 4 were Grade 2. Twenty-three tumors were extracompartmental (Enneking B); of these, 4 were Grade 1 and 19 were Grade 2. Twenty-five patients underwent intralesional resection, 18 had wide resection, and three had amputations. The overall survival rate was 94% and the disease-free survival rate was 90%. Among the 23 Grade 1 tumors, we observed six local recurrences and none of these patients died; among the 23 Grade 2 tumors, 10 recurred and two patients died. Local recurrence negatively influenced survival. For lesions with radiographic characteristics of intracompartmental Grade 1 chondrosarcoma, we believe intralesional resection followed by electrocauterization and cement is the best treatment. When the imaging suggests aggressive (Grade 2 or 3) chondrosarcoma, then wide resection is promptly indicated.