Bone Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bone Cancer, including details on symptoms, types, treatment.

Results of the Brazilian Osteosarcoma Treatment Group Studies III and IV: prognostic factors and impact on survival.

Petrilli AS, de Camargo B, Filho VO, Bruniera P, Brunetto AL, Jesus-Garcia R, Camargo OP, Pena W, Péricles P, Davi A, Prospero JD, Alves MT, Oliveira CR, Macedo CR, Mendes WL, Almeida MT, Borsato ML, dos Santos TM, Ortega J, Consentino E,

Instituto de Oncologia Pediátrica, Grupo de Apoio ao Adolescente e à Criança com Câncer/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. iopepm@dialdata.com.br

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of chemotherapy and surgery on the outcome of osteosarcoma (OS) of the extremities and to identify prognostic factors in Brazilian patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 225 patients with metastatic and nonmetastatic OS of the extremities were enrolled and assessed in two consecutive studies designed and implemented by the Brazilian Osteosarcoma Treatment Group. RESULTS: The 5-year survival and event-free survival rates for the 209 assessable patients were 50.1% and 39%, respectively; for the 178 patients with nonmetastatic disease at diagnosis, the rates were 60.5% and 45.5%, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that the following variables were associated with a shorter survival: metastases at diagnosis (P < .001), necrosis grades 1 and 2 (P = .046), and tumor size (P = .0071). CONCLUSION: The overall 5- and 10-year survival rates were lower than the rates reported in North American and European trials. A pattern of advanced disease at diagnosis was often present, with a high proportion of patients having metastases (20.8%) and large tumor size (42.9%). However, these features were not necessarily associated with longer duration of prediagnostic symptoms. These findings were considered in the strategic planning of the current Brazilian cooperative study, with the aim of improving survival and quality of life of a large number of patients with OS.

Published 28 February 2006 in J Clin Oncol, 24(7): 1161-8.
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