Favorable response of metastatic osteogenic sarcoma to pulse high-dose methotrexate with citrovorum rescue and radiation therapy

Intrinsic epigenetic state of primary osteosarcoma drives metastasis

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor affecting the pediatric population with high potential to metastasize to distal sites, most commonly the lung. Insights into defining molecular features contributing to metastatic potential are lacking. We have mapped the active chromatin landscapes of OS tumors by integrating histone H3 lysine acetylated chromatin (H3K27ac) profiles (n=13), chromatin accessibility profiles (n=11) and gene expression (n=13) to understand the differences in their active chromatin profiles and its impact on molecular mechanisms driving the malignant phenotypes. Primary OS tumors from patients with metastasis (primary met) have a distinct active chromatin landscape compared to primary tumors from patients without metastatic disease (localized). The difference in chromatin activity shapes the transcriptional profile of OS. We identified novel candidate genes involved in OS pathogenesis and metastasis, including PPP1R1B , PREX1 and IGF2BP1 , which exhibit increased chromatin activity in primary met along with higher transcript levels. Overall, differential chromatin activity in primary met occurs in proximity of genes regulating actin cytoskeleton organization, cellular adhesion, and extracellular matrix suggestive of their role in facilitating OS metastasis. Furthermore, chromatin profiling of tumors from metastatic lung lesions noted increases in chromatin activity in genes involved in cell migration and key intracellular signaling cascades, including the Wnt pathway. Thus, this data demonstrates that metastatic potential is intrinsically present in primary metastatic tumors and the cellular chromatin profiles further adapt to allow for successful dissemination, migration, and colonization at the distal metastatic site.

Osteosarcoma and Its Advancement

Cancer with its high mortality rate is really hard to treat even in this era. Extensive research work is still required to overcome the threat caused by the disease. Currently, the treatment modality is based on the combination therapy, and diagnostics is dependent upon biopsy results. Once the stage of cancer is clear, the treatment is prescribed. To bring a successful treatment approach of patients with osteosarcoma, it requires multidisciplinary team approach including pediatric, medical and surgical oncologist, surgeons, pathologists, pain management, orthopedic oncologist, endocrinologist, and radiologists. Therefore, cancer treatment is to be performed in specialized hospitals able to provide access to all approaches with multidisciplinary team care.

Origin and Therapies of Osteosarcoma

Simple Summary

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children, with a 5-year survival rate ranging from 70% to 20% depending on the aggressiveness of the disease. The current treatments have not evolved over the past four decades due in part to the genetic complexity of the disease and its heterogeneity. This review will summarize the current knowledge of OS origin, diagnosis and therapies.

Abstract

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most frequent primary bone tumor, mainly affecting children and young adults. Despite therapeutic advances, the 5-year survival rate is 70% but drastically decreases to 20–30% for poor responders to therapies or for patients with metastasis. No real evolution of the survival rates has been observed for four decades, explained by poor knowledge of the origin, difficulties related to diagnosis and the lack of targeted therapies for this pediatric tumor. This review will describe a non-exhaustive overview of osteosarcoma disease from a clinical and biological point of view, describing the origin, diagnosis and therapies.

Translational Strategies to Target Metastatic Bone Disease

Metastatic bone disease is a common and devastating complication to cancer, confounding treatments and recovery efforts and presenting a significant barrier to de-escalating the adverse outcomes associated with disease progression. Despite significant advances in the field, bone metastases remain presently incurable and contribute heavily to cancer-associated morbidity and mortality. Mechanisms associated with metastatic bone disease perpetuation and paralleled disruption of bone remodeling are highlighted to convey how they provide the foundation for therapeutic targets to stem disease escalation. The focus of this review aims to describe the preclinical modeling and diagnostic evaluation of metastatic bone disease as well as discuss the range of therapeutic modalities used clinically and how they may impact skeletal tissue.

Development and Validation of Nomograms to Assess Risk Factors and Overall Survival Prediction for Lung Metastasis in Young Patients with Osteosarcoma: A SEER-Based Study

BACKGROUND

To establish two nomograms to quantify the diagnostic factors of lung metastasis (LM) and their role in assessing prognosis in young patients with LM osteosarcoma.

METHODS

A total of 618 osteosarcoma young patients from 2010 to 2015 were included from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Another 131 patients with osteosarcoma from local hospitals were also collected as an external validation set. Patients were randomized into training sets (n = 434) and validation sets (n = 184) with a ratio of 7:3. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the risk factor for LM and were used to construct the nomogram. Risk variables for the overall survival rate of patients with LM were evaluated by Cox regression. Another nomogram was also constructed to predict survival rates. The results were validated using bootstrap resampling and retrospective research on 131 osteosarcoma young patients from 2010 to 2019 at three local hospitals.

RESULTS

There were 114 (18.45%) patients diagnosed as LM at initial diagnosis. The multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that T stage, N stage, and bone metastasis were independent risk factors for LM in newly diagnosed young osteosarcoma patients (P < 0.001). The ROC analysis revealed that area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.751, 0.821, and 0.735 in the training set, internal validation set, and external validation set, respectively, indicating good predictive discrimination. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis suggested that age, surgery, chemotherapy, primary site, and bone metastasis were prognostic factors for young osteosarcoma patients with LM. The time-dependent ROC curves showed that the AUCs for predicting 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 0.817, 0.792, and 0.815 in the training set and 0.772, 0.807, and 0.804 in the internal validation set, respectively. As for the external validation set, the AUCs for predicting 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 0.787, 0.818, and 0.717.

CONCLUSIONS

The nomograms can help clinicians strengthen their personal decision-making and can improve the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients.

Radiation recall reactions: An oncologic enigma

Radiation recall reactions (RRR) are uncommon but are a well-known phenomenon to oncologists. Tissue damage in a prior irradiation portal is 'recalled' after the administration of a drug, historically cytotoxics, or more recently, targeted or immunotherapeutic agents. Even COVID-19 vaccines are a reported cause. RRR are enigmatic in that their cause is unknown, but they generally have the histopathological and clinical features of acute or chronic inflammation. They can occur in a variety of tissues, the commonest being skin, which accounts for two-thirds of reported cases. They are generally relatively mild and self-limiting once the trigger drug is stopped, although severe cases with tissue necrosis have occurred. Rechallenge with drug does not necessarily cause reactivation of the reaction. Symptomatic treatment with steroids and antihistamines are usually effective, but their impact on the clinical course is unclear. Various hypotheses have been proposed as to the mechanism of RRR; a non-immune fixed drug reaction-like condition, dysregulated release of reactive oxygen species, abnormalities of tissue vasculature and impaired DNA repair. All could lead to a characteristic inflammatory microenvironment, resulting in dysfunction of tissue stem cells, keratinocyte necrosis and dermal abnormalities. Alternatively or in addition, low levels of inflammatory tissue cytokines induced by previous irradiation might be further upregulated by drug exposure. Most information in this review refers to data derived from cutaneous RRR, since they are the most common form reported.

Drug Resistance in Cancer Therapy and the Role of Epigenetics

Effective leukemia treatment is seriously hampered by drug resistance, and the potential role of epigenetic mechanisms in cancer drug resistance has recently been investigated. With conventional anticancer drugs, including alkylating drugs, anti-metabolite drugs, topoisomerase inhibitors, and microtubule inhibitors-which have been available for half a century-drug resistance often develops because of decreased expression of target enzymes, in conjunction with increased expression of drug export pumps. Alterations of target gene expression and increased export pump function might be caused by epigenetic changes, such as alterations in methylation status, as well as by changes in histone acetylation status. In addition, newly developed anticancer drugs, including small-molecule drugs, such as kinase inhibitors, antibody drugs, and immune modulatory drugs, also resulted in development of drug resistance within 1 year, although these drugs showed significant effectiveness for patients resistant to conventional anticancer drugs. The resistant cells exhibited increased expression of bypass pathways, activation of downstream cascades, decreased expression of antigens of tumor cells, increased DNA repair activity, and increased expression of drug export pumps, which also suggests the presence of epigenetic changes. This article reviews drug resistance in cancer therapy and the possible roles of epigenetic mechanisms.

Usefulness of daily folic acid supplementation during methotrexate treatment of Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the effect of daily folic acid supplementation on methotrexate (MTX) toxicity and efficacy in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

We followed 19 patients treated with MTX who switched from taking weekly 5 mg folic acid supplementation (weekly regimen) to 1.25 mg daily (daily regimen). White blood cell (WBC) and platelet (PLT) counts, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were collected for 24 weeks following the change.

RESULTS

We observed no significant changes in WBC or PLT counts. AST and ALT levels, which had exceeded the upper limits of their normal ranges at the beginning of the study, were improved significantly at weeks 4 and 8, no subsequent deterioration in liver function was found. Further, no significant changes in ESR and CRP levels were observed.

CONCLUSION

Our data indicate that supplementing 1.25 mg of folic acid daily rather than 5 mg weekly reduces toxicity caused by MTX without affecting its efficacy.

Development and validation of a nomogram for osteosarcoma-specific survival: A population-based study

This study aimed to establish a comprehensive prognostic system for osteosarcoma based on a large population database with high quality.The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database was used to identify patients with osteosarcoma from 1973 to 2015. Multivariate analysis was performed to screen statistically significant variables. A nomogram was constructed by R software to predict the 3-, 5- and 10-year survival rates. Predictive abilities were compared by C-indexes, calibration plots, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), net reclassification improvement (NRI), as well as decision curve analysis (DCA).In total, 4505 osteosarcoma patients were identified. They were divided into training (70%, n = 3153) and validating (30%, n = 1352) groups. Multivariate analyses identified independent predictors. Subsequently, the nomogram system of a new model was established, which comprised 7 variables as age, sex, site, decade of diagnosis (DOD), extent of disease (EOD), tumor size and patients undergoing tri-modality therapy (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy). It provided better C-indexes than the model without therapies (0.727, 0.712 vs 0.705, 0.668) in the 2 cohort, respectively. As well, the new model had good performances in the calibration plots. Moreover, both IDI and NRI improved for 3-, 5- and 10-year follow-up of C-indexes. Finally, DCA demonstrated that the nomogram of new model was clinically meaningful.We developed a reliable nomogram for prognostic determinants and treatment outcome analysis of osteosarcoma, thus helping better choose medical examinations and optimize therapeutic regimen under the cooperation among oncologists and surgeons.

STAT3 inhibitor, cucurbitacin I, is a novel therapeutic agent for osteosarcoma

The development of clinical agents remains a costly and time-consuming process. Although identification of new uses of existing drugs has been recognized as a more efficient approach for drug discovery than development of novel drugs, little screening of drugs that might be used for a rare malignant tumor such as osteosarcoma (OS) has been performed. In this study, we attempted to identify new molecular targeted agents for OS by employing Screening Committee of Anticancer Drugs (SCADS) kits. To screen compounds for OS treatment, their effect on cell viability of the OS cell lines 143B, MG63, HOS, SAOS-2, and HUO9 were evaluated. Candidate drugs were narrowed down based on a global anti-proliferative effect against these five OS cell lines. After excluding cytotoxic compounds and compounds unsuitable for in vivo administration, cucurbitacin I was extracted. Cucurbitacin I has been found to have cytotoxic and anti-proliferative properties against several tumors through inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation. Cucurbitacin I dose- and time-dependently inhibited the proliferation of all five OS cell lines. Following cucurbitacin I treatment, STAT3 was inactivated and analysis of Mcl-1, cleaved PARP and caspase-3 indicated apoptosis induction. Expression of cell cycle regulator proteins, such as phospho-cyclin D1, c-Myc and survivin, were suppressed. Finally, cucurbitacin I potently inhibited the tumor growth of human OS 143B cells in nude mice. Our in vitro and in vivo results suggest that STAT3 inhibition by cucurbitacin I will be an effective and new approach for the treatment of OS.

Pharmacogenomics of genes involved in antifolate drug response and toxicity in osteosarcoma

INTRODUCTION

Antifolates are structural analogs of folates, which have been used as antitumor drugs for more than 60 years. The antifolate drug most commonly used for treating human tumors is methotrexate (MTX), which is utilized widely in first-line treatment protocols of high-grade osteosarcoma (HGOS). In addition to MTX, two other antifolates, trimetrexate and pemetrexed, have been tested in clinical settings for second-line treatment of recurrent HGOS with patients unfortunately showing modest activity. Areas covered: There is clinical evidence which suggsest that, like other chemotherapeutic agents, not all HGOS patients are equally responsive to antifolates and do not have the same susceptibility to experience adverse drug-related toxicities. Here, we summarize the pharmacogenomic information reported so far for genes involved in antifolate metabolism and transport and in MTX-related toxicity in HGOS patients. Expert opinion: Identification and validation of genetic biomarkers that significantly impact clinical antifolate treatment response and related toxicity may provide the basis for a future treatment modulation based on the pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic features of HGOS patients.

Methotrexate inhibits osteoclastogenesis by decreasing RANKL-induced calcium influx into osteoclast progenitors

The increasing number of osteoporosis patients is a pressing issue worldwide. Osteoporosis frequently causes fragility fractures, limiting activities of daily life and increasing mortality. Many osteoporosis patients take numerous medicines due to other health issues; thus, it would be preferable if a single medicine could ameliorate osteoporosis and other conditions. Here, we screened 96 randomly selected drugs targeting various diseases for their ability to inhibit differentiation of osteoclasts, which play a pivotal role in development of osteoporosis, and identified methotrexate (MTX), as a potential inhibitor. MTX is currently used to treat sarcomas or leukemic malignancies or auto-inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through its anti-proliferative and immunosuppressive activities; however, a direct effect on osteoclast differentiation has not been shown. Here, we report that osteoclast formation and expression of osteoclastic genes such as NFATc1 and DC-STAMP, which are induced by the cytokine RANKL, are significantly inhibited by MTX. We found that RANKL-dependent calcium (Ca) influx into osteoclast progenitors was significantly inhibited by MTX. RA patients often develop osteoporosis, and osteoclasts are reportedly required for joint destruction; thus, MTX treatment could have a beneficial effect on RA patients exhibiting high osteoclast activity by preventing both osteoporosis and joint destruction.

An update on chemotherapy for osteosarcoma

INTRODUCTION

In the early seventies chemotherapy significantly improved survival in osteosarcoma. Since then minor innovations have occurred although recent years have offered insights of clinical and scientific relevance.

AREAS COVERED

This review focuses on the most recent results of phase 3 and 2 studies. Published data or presentations at International meetings are discussed. A specific section discusses recent insights from studies supporting the hypothesis of a possible personalized chemotherapy approach.

EXPERT OPINION

Osteosarcoma is a rare tumor and any effort should be made to improve the level of International collaboration. The MAP (methotrexate, doxorubicin and cisplatin) regimen has become the treatment of choice. Poor pathological response to primary chemotherapy is confirmed as a predictive factor of survival and, presently with the available drugs, it is not recommended to intensify or change post-operative treatment on the basis of pathological response to primary chemotherapy. The genomic complexity and the heterogeneity of osteosarcoma makes active and effective molecularly targeted therapies unlikely to be available in the near future. A relation between pharmacogenetic profile and chemotherapy toxicity and prognosis has been reported. The new frontier for clinical research in osteosarcoma is to optimize the use of the active drugs available by personalizing chemotherapy treatment.

Evolution of modern treatment of childhood acute leukemia and cancer: adventures and battles in the 1970s and 1980s

This article summarizes the adventures and explorations in the 1970s and 1980s in the treatment of children with leukemia and cancer that paved the way for the current success in childhood cancers. Indeed, these were adventures and bold steps into unchartered waters. Because childhood leukemia the most common of the childhood cancers, success in childhood leukemia was pivotal in the push toward cure of all childhood cancers. The success in childhood leukemia illustrates how treatment programs were designed using clinical- and biology-based risk factors seen in the patients.

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide for bone sarcomas in adult and older patients

The present study investigated the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide for bone sarcoma in adult and older patients. A total of 18 consecutive patients with bone sarcoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage II in 14 patients and stage IV in four) treated with neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy at Nagoya Musculoskeletal Oncology Group hospitals in Japan between 2004 and 2011 were reviewed. The treatment efficacy and side-effects were evaluated. The responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were stable disease in 11 patients and progressive disease in three. Among the 12 evaluable patients, there were five with ≥90% tumor necrosis. The estimated overall survival (OS) rate at five years for the patients without metastasis prior to treatment was 56%. Major grade 3 or 4 side-effects included leukopenia in 14 cases, anemia in seven, thrombocytopenia in three, nausea in two and febrile neutropenia in two. One patient discontinued chemotherapy due to a temporarily depressed level of consciousness with arrhythmia (grade 2). The estimated five-year OS rate in this study was acceptable in patients without metastasis prior to treatment. A better coordinated prospective study of this combination regimen for older patients with bone sarcoma will be required to clarify its efficacy and tolerability.

Carboplatin and doxorubicin in treatment of pediatric osteosarcoma: a 9-year single institute experience in the Northern Region of Thailand

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in childhood and adolescence. Carboplatin, a platinum-derived agent, is used as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pediatric osteosarcoma because of its anti-tumor activity and had low toxicity as compared to cisplatin.

OBJECTIVE

To determine demographic data, prognostic factors and outcome of childhood osteosarcoma treated with a carboplatin-based chemotherapeutic protocol at Chiang Mai University.

METHOD

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 34 osteosarcoma patients aged less than 18 years and treated between 2003 and 2011.

RESULTS

Overall limb-salvage and amputation rates were 23.5% and 70.6%, respectively. With the mean follow-up time of 29.5 months (1.5-108.9), the Kaplan-Meier analysis for 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 3-year overall survival (OS) were 20.2±7.7% and 47.1±9.5% respectively. Patients who had initial pulmonary metastasis were at significantly greater risk for developing recurrence (p=0.02, OR=7; 1.2-40.1) and had a tendency to have lower 3-year OS compared to those without initial pulmonary metastasis (28.1±13%, 63.1±12.3%, respectively, p=0.202). On univariate analysis, age at diagnosis and patients who were declined surgery were significantly associated with lower 3-year OS (p=0.008 and <0.05, respectively). However, age at diagnosis, sex, tumor size and histological subtypes were not found to significantly affect recurrence or survival.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, the survival rate was far lower than those reported from developed countries. These might indicate the ineffectiveness of carboplatin in combination with doxorubicin as frontline treatment of pediatric osteosarcoma, especially in those with initial pulmonary metastasis. Refinement in risk and treatment stratification and dose intensification for pediatric osteosarcoma constitutes a future challenge to improve outcomes, especially in metastatic patients who may need a more intensive regimen.

Proximal femoral reconstruction with a constrained acetabulum in oncologic patients

Metallic endoprostheses are used for oncological reconstruction around the proximal femur and hip joint. Common modes of failure with hemiarthroplasty or standard hip arthroplasty after proximal femoral replacement include dislocation, late hip pain, and infection. The authors reviewed hospital records to identify patients undergoing constrained tripolar hip arthroplasty for oncological reasons between 2002 and 2012. Inclusion criterion was at least 12-cm proximal femoral resection, including patients with total femur reconstruction. A total of 33 patients were reviewed. Information regarding demographics, length of follow-up, treatment characteristics, and patient outcomes was extracted. Average follow-up for all patients was 912.33 days (30.4 months). Average follow-up was 1396.1 days for living patients and 428.6 days for deceased patients. Average estimated blood loss was 462.12 cc: an average of 1080 cc for patients undergoing total femoral resection and replacement and 315.8 cc for patients undergoing proximal femoral resection and replacement. Average operative time was 137.7 minutes: an average of 205 minutes for patients undergoing total femoral resection and replacement and 119.1 minutes for patients undergoing proximal femoral resection and replacement. Average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 21.7. There were no dislocations in the cohort. A constrained tripolar device can be safely used for oncological proximal femoral reconstructions while minimizing the risk of dislocation. Positioning of the acetabular implant in neutral anatomic version in conjunction with a neutral-placed femoral component provides the greatest range of motion, reduction of liner impingement, and improved hip stability.

Locoregional interaction of ixabepilone (ixempra) after breast cancer radiation

BACKGROUND

Radiation recall is an acute inflammatory reaction within a previously irradiated field triggered by chemotherapy administration. We observed a series of patients with unexpectedly severe reactions that included radiation recall and delayed healing when patients received the microtubule stabilizer ixabepilone (Ixempra; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ) after radiation. We therefore decided to evaluate our experience in patients receiving ixabepilone following radiotherapy.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients treated with curative intent in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2008-2011 who received any ixabepilone after completion of external-beam radiation therapy. These patients received adjuvant ixabepilone on one of two protocols, either for locally advanced breast cancer or for metastatic breast cancer. In total, 19 patients were identified and their charts were subsequently reviewed for evidence of ixabepilone-related toxicity.

RESULTS

Of the 19 patients identified who received ixabepilone following radiation therapy, three (15.8%) had unexpectedly serious reactions in the months following radiation therapy. Complications included delayed wound closure and drain placement into the seroma, intense erythema, and delayed wound closure and grade 4 chest wall necrosis requiring latissimus flap and skin grafting. The average number of days between the end of radiation therapy and documentation of reaction was 99.

CONCLUSIONS

Ixabepilone chemotherapy may induce radiation recall and delayed wound healing when used shortly after the completion of external-beam radiotherapy. Significant clinical interactions have not been previously reported and merit further evaluation.

The Current and Future Therapies for Human Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common non-hematologic malignant tumor of bone in adults and children. As sarcomas are more common in adolescents and young adults than most other forms of cancer, there are a significant number of years of life lost secondary to these malignancies. OS is associated with a poor prognosis secondary to a high grade at presentation, resistance to chemotherapy and a propensity to metastasize to the lungs. Current OS management involves both chemotherapy and surgery. The incorporation of cytotoxic chemotherapy into therapeutic regimens escalated cure rates from <20% to current levels of 65-75%. Furthermore, limb-salvage surgery is now offered to the majority of OS patients. Despite advances in chemotherapy and surgical techniques over the past three decades, there has been stagnation in patient survival outcome improvement, especially in patients with metastatic OS. Thus, there is a critical need to identify novel and directed therapy for OS. Several Phase I trials for sarcoma therapies currently ongoing or recently completed have shown objective responses in OS. Novel drug delivery mechanisms are currently under phase II and III clinical trials. Furthermore, there is an abundance of preclinical research which holds great promise in the development of future OS-directed therapeutics. Our continuously improving knowledge of the molecular and cell-signaling pathways involved in OS will translate into more effective therapies for OS and ultimately improved patient survival. The present review will provide an overview of current therapies, ongoing clinical trials and therapeutic targets under investigation for OS.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with methotrexate, cisplatin, and doxorubicin with or without ifosfamide in nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity: an Italian sarcoma group trial ISG/OS-1

PURPOSE

We compared two chemotherapy regimens that included methotrexate (MTX), cisplatin (CDP), and doxorubicin (ADM) with or without ifosfamide (IFO) in patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients age ≤ 40 years randomly received regimens with the same cumulative doses of drugs (ADM 420 mg/m(2), MTX 120 g/m(2), CDP 600 mg/m(2), and IFO 30 g/m(2)) but with different durations (arm A, 44 weeks; arm B, 34 weeks). IFO was given postoperatively when pathologic response to MTX-CDP-ADM was poor (arm A) or given in the primary phase of chemotherapy with MTX-CDP-ADM (arm B). End points of the study included pathologic response to preoperative chemotherapy, toxicity, and survival. Given the feasibility of accrual, the statistical plan only permitted detection of a 15% difference in 5-year overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

From April 2001 to December 2006, 246 patients were enrolled. Two hundred thirty patients (94%) underwent limb salvage surgery (arm A, 92%; arm B, 96%; P = .5). Chemotherapy-induced necrosis was good in 45% of patients (48% in arm A, 42% in arm B; P = .3). Four patients died of treatment-related toxicity (arm A, n = 1; arm B, n = 3). A significantly higher incidence of hematologic toxicity was reported in arm B. With a median follow-up of 66 months (range, 1 to 104 months), 5-year OS and event-free survival (EFS) rates were not significantly different between arm A and arm B, with OS being 73% (95% CI, 65% to 81%) in arm A and 74% (95% CI, 66% to 82%) in arm B and EFS being 64% (95% CI, 56% to 73%) in arm A and 55% (95% CI, 46% to 64%) in arm B.

CONCLUSION

IFO added to MTX, CDP, and ADM from the preoperative phase does not improve the good responder rate and increases hematologic toxicity. IFO should only be considered in patients who have a poor histologic response to MTX, CDP, and ADM.

Age as prognostic factor in patients with osteosarcoma

Age at diagnosis is a well known prognostic factor in many different malignancies; its significance for patients with osteosarcoma is however controversial. To gain more insight in the prognostic role of age, we performed a retrospective study at our institute. We included 102 patients with de-novo osteosarcoma and formed three age groups to evaluate age specific survival rates: ≤ 14 years, 15-19 years and 20-40 years. Differences in outcome between patients aged 15-19 years treated at either the pediatric department or the adult department of oncology were evaluated. The 5-year overall survival rate (OSR) of the whole population was 53.5%±1.5%. OSR of 70.6%±0.8% was seen in patients ≤ 14 years old, 52.5%±1.1% in patients 15-19 years old and 33.3%±0.9% in the patients aged 20-40 years (p=0.01). Significant differences were observed with regard to stage at presentation (higher in older age groups), size of the tumor (larger in younger age groups) and histological response (more good responders in younger age groups). No significant difference was seen between outcomes of patients aged 15-19 years treated at the pediatric or adult oncology department. In conclusion, younger patients have a significantly better outcome than older patients.

Chemotherapeutic adjuvant treatment for osteosarcoma: where do we stand?

AIM

Since the introduction of chemotherapy, survival in localised high-grade osteosarcoma has improved considerably. However, there is still no worldwide consensus on a standard chemotherapy approach. In this systematic review evidence for effectiveness of each single drug and the role of response guided salvage treatment of adjuvant chemotherapy are addressed, whereas in a meta-analysis the number of drugs in current protocols is considered.

METHODS

A systematic literature search for clinical studies in localised high-grade osteosarcoma was undertaken, including both randomised and non-randomised trials. Historical clinical studies from the pre-chemotherapy era were included for comparison purposes.

RESULTS

Nine historical studies showed a long-term survival of 16% after only local treatment. Fifty single agent phase II studies showed high response rates for adriamycin (A, 43%), ifosfamide (Ifo, 33%), methotrexate (M, 32%), cisplatin (P, 26%) but only 4% for etposide (E). In 19 neo-adjuvant studies the mean 5-year event free survival (EFS) was 48% for 2-drug regimens and 58% for ⩾3 drug regimens, with a 5-year overall survival (OAS) of 62% and 70%, respectively. Meta-analysis showed that ⩾3 drug regimens including methotrexate plus adriamycin plus cisplatin (plus ifosfamide) (MAP(Ifo)) had significant better outcome (EFS: HR=0.701 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.615-0.799); OAS: HR=0.792 (95% CI: 0.677-0.926) than 2-drug regimens, but there was no significant difference between MAP and MAPIfo (or plus etoposide). Salvage of poor responders by changing drugs, or intensifying treatment postoperatively has not proven to be useful in this analysis.

CONCLUSION

Meta-analysis in patients with localised high-grade osteosarcoma shows that 3-drug regimens, for example MAP are the most efficacious drug regimens.

Addition of pamidronate to chemotherapy for the treatment of osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

This study evaluated the safety and feasibility of the addition of pamidronate to chemotherapy for treatment of osteosarcoma.

METHODS

The authors treated 40 patients with osteosarcoma with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and methotrexate with the addition of pamidronate 2 mg/kg/dose (max dose 90 mg) monthly for 12 doses. Survival, event-free survival (EFS), and durability of orthopedic reconstruction were evaluated.

RESULTS

For patients with localized disease, event-free survival (EFS) at 5 years was 72% and overall survival 93%. For patients with metastatic disease, EFS at 5 years was 45% and overall survival 64%. Toxicity was similar to patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Thirteen of 14 uncemented implants demonstrated successful osteointegration. Among allograft reconstructions, there were 2 graft failures, 4 delayed unions, and 6 successful grafts. Overall, 5 of 33 reconstructions failed. There were no stress fractures or growth disturbances.

CONCLUSIONS

Pamidronate can be safely incorporated with chemotherapy for the treatment of osteosarcoma. It does not impair the efficacy of chemotherapy. Pamidronate may improve the durability of limb reconstruction.

Osteosarcoma: improvement in survival limited to high-grade patients only

BACKGROUND

We sought to identify the significant prognostic parameters of patients with osteosarcoma over the past three decades using a population-based registry.

METHODS

A total of 3765 patients with osteosarcoma were identified in the SEER database. Information regarding patient demographics, clinical and treatment characteristics, cause of death and survival were extracted. Kaplan-Meier, Log-Rank, and Cox regression were used for analysis.

RESULTS

On multivariate analysis only age group '<25 years', 'local' stage and 'low' grade, 'appendicular skeleton' and employment of 'surgical resection' showed a disease-specific survival benefit with a P value < 0.001. The long-term survival improved in the interval from 1973 to 1985 from approximately 55 to 65% but subsequent improvement has been limited only to patients with high-grade disease.

CONCLUSION

When comparing survival rates by decade of diagnosis, it appears that improvement in survival since 1985 is limited to patients with high-grade disease only.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

The level of evidence for this article is 2.

Radiation recall dermatitis: case report and review of the literature

"Radiation recall"-also called "radiation recall dermatitis"-has been defined as the "recalling" by skin of previous radiation exposure in response to the administration of certain response-inducing drugs. Although the phenomenon is relatively well known in the medical world, an exact cause has not been documented. Here, we report a rare occurrence of the radiation recall phenomenon in a breast cancer patient after palliative radiotherapy for bone, brain, and orbital metastases.

Childhood osteosarcoma: multimodal therapy in a single-institution Turkish series

Between January 1990 and December 2006, 123 patients<or=16 years with the histopathologic diagnosis of osteosarcoma were treated with a chemotherapy regimen comprising epirubicin, cisplatin, and ifosfamide. The mean follow-up time was 36 months (range 2-219 months). Among the 94 patients analyzed, 68 patients (72.3%) were alive at the time of the analysis. A total of 26 patients (13 each with nonmetastatic and metastatic disease) died; 20 of these (9 with nonmetastatic disease and 11 with metastatic disease) died of disease; 5, of chemotherapy toxicity, and 1, of nonmetastatic disease from acute nonlymphoid leukemia 13 months following the cessation of osteosarcoma therapy. The estimated 5- and 10-year Overall Survival (OS) rates for all patients were 64.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 74.8-52.94%) and 62.2% (95% CI 74.6-49.9%), respectively. The Event Free Survival (EFS) rate for all patients was 51.8% (95% CI 40.2-63.4%) at both 5 and 10 years. The estimated 5- and 10-year Overall Survival (OS) rates for patients with nonmetastatic disease were 78.3% (95% CI 66.9-89.7%) and 75.1 (95% CI 62.6-87.6%), respectively; this 5-year rate was significantly superior to that of patients with metastatic disease, 13.5% (95% CI 0-30.8%) (p<0.001). The estimated EFS rate for patients with nonmetastatic disease was 62.4% (95% CI 49.9-79.9%) at both 5 and 10 years and was significantly better than the 5-year EFS of 6.9% (95% CI 0-19.9%) in patients with metastatic disease (p<0.001). Progression during preoperative chemotherapy was encountered in 18 patients (19.1%), 11 of whom had metastatic disease at diagnosis. Four patients (three with nonmetastatic disease and one with metastatic disease) underwent salvage treatment consisting of early surgical intervention and preoperative radiation. The estimated 5- and 10-year OS rates were 13% (95% CI 0-29.7%) for patients who had progression during treatment; this rate was significantly inferior to both the 5- and 10-year OS rates for patients without progressive disease, which were 78.2% (95% CI 66.1-90.4%) and 75% (95% CI 61.9-83.1%), respectively (p<0.001). A total of 33 patients experienced relapse and/or progression at a median time of 9 months (range 0-40 months). Histologic response (<90% necrosis vs. >or=90%) was significantly correlated with the 5-year EFS (31% vs. 67.6%, respectively, p=0.023) but not with OS (57.7% vs. 76.5%, respectively, p=0.13). The presence of metastases at diagnosis was found to be the most significant single characteristic influencing the outcome. The rate of histologically good response to preoperative chemotherapy was 64.5%, which is comparable with the 28-85% response rates given in the literature. Our results demonstrate that the combination of epirubicin, cisplatin, and ifosfamide is an active and reasonably well-tolerated regimen for childhood osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma: the COSS experience

COSS, the interdisciplinary Cooperative German-Austrian-Swiss Osteosarcoma Study Group, was founded in 1977 and has since registered some 3,500 bone sarcoma patients from over 200 institutions. For the purpose of the Pediatric and Adolescent Osteosarcoma Conference in Houston, March 2008, the outcomes of 2,464 consecutive patients with high-grade central osteosarcoma, who had been diagnosed between 1980 and 2005 and had been treated on neoadjuvant COSS protocols, were reviewed. Intended treatment had included surgery and multidrug chemotherapy, with high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and ifosfamide being used in most protocols. After a median follow-up of 7.31 years for 1,654 survivors, 5- and 10-year survival estimates were 0.748/0.695 for 2,017 patients with localized extremity tumors and 0.369/0.317 for 444 patients with axial tumors or/and primary metastases, respectively. Tumor response to preoperative chemotherapy was of independent prognostic significance. Over the years, there was a major shift from amputation towards limb-salvage. This development was least evident for patients below the age of 10. While survival expectancies improved from the first to the second half of the recruitment period, no further improvement was evident within the latter period. In the manuscript, the results described above are discussed based on the findings of the previous analyses of our group.

Osteosarcoma: review of the past, impact on the future. The American experience

Major advances have been achieved in the treatment of osteosarcoma with the discovery of several chemotherapeutic agents that were active in the disease. These agents comprise high-dose methotrexate with leucovorin rescue, Adriamycin, cisplatin, ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide. The agents were integrated into various regimens and administered in an effort to destroy silent pulmonary micrometastases which are considered to be present in at least 80% of patients at the time of diagnosis. Their efficacy in achieving this goal was realized and their use was further extended to the application of preoperative (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy to destroy the primary tumor and achieve safe surgical resections. Disease free survival was escalated from <20% prior to the introduction of effective chemotherapy to 55-75% and overall survival to 85%. Further, the opportunity to perform limb salvage was expanded to 80% of patients. Of interest also was an attempt in one series to treat the primary tumor exclusively with chemotherapy, and abrogation of surgery. Adding to these advances, varieties of subsequently discovered agents are currently undergoing investigations in patients who have relapsed and/or failed conventional therapy. The agents include Gemcitabine, Docetaxel, novel antifolate compounds, and a liposome formulation of adriamycin (Doxil). A biological agent, muramyl tripeptide phosphatidyl ethanolamine (MTPPE) was also recently investigated in a 2x2 factorial design to determine its efficacy in combination with chemotherapy (methotrexate, cisplatin, Adriamycin and ifosfamide).In circumstances where the tumor was considered inoperable, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were advocated for local control. High dose methotrexate, Adriamycin and cisplatin and Gemcitabine interact with radiation therapy and potentiate its therapeutic effect. This combination is also particularly useful in palliation. Occasionally, the combination of radiation and chemotherapy may render a tumor suitable for surgical ablation. Samarium153, a radio active agent, is also used as palliative therapy for bone metastases.However, despite the advances achieved with the multidisciplinary application of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical ablation of the primary tumor over the past 3(1/2) decades, the improved cure rate reported initially has not altered. Particularly vexing is the problem of rescuing patients who develop pulmonary metastases after receiving seemingly effective multidisciplinary treatment. Approximately 15-25% of such patients only are rendered free of disease with the reintroduction of chemotherapy and resection of metastases. Extrapulmonary metastases and multifocal osteosarcoma also constitute a major problem. The arsenal of available agents to treat such patients has not made any substantial impact in improving their survival. New chemotherapeutic agents are urgently required to improve treatment and outcome. Additional strategies to be considered are targeted tumor therapy, anti tumor angiogenesis, biotherapy and therapy based upon molecular profiles. This communication outlines sequential discoveries in the chemotherapeutic research of osteosarcoma in the United States of America. It also describes the principles regulating the therapeutic application of the regimens and considers the impact of their results on the conduct in the design of future investigations and treatment.

Twentieth-century survival from osteosarcoma in childhood. Trends from 1933 to 2004

We have reviewed the data from our regional Bone Tumour Registry on patients with osteosarcoma diagnosed between 1933 and 2004 in order to investigate the relationship between survival and changes in treatment. There were 184 patients with non-metastatic appendicular osteosarcoma diagnosed at the age of 18 or under. Survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves, and multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox regression proportional hazards model. The five-year survival improved from 21% between 1933 and 1959, to 62% between 1990 and 1999. During this time, a multi-disciplinary organisation was gradually developed to manage treatment. The most significant variable affecting outcome was the date of diagnosis, with trends in improved survival mirroring the introduction of increasingly effective chemotherapy. Our experience suggests that the guidelines of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on the minimum throughput of centres for treatment should be enforced flexibly in those that can demonstrate that their historical and contemporary results are comparable to those published nationally and internationally.

An ambiguous phenomenon of radiation and drugs: recall reactions

The term 'radiation recall' describes an acute inflammatory reaction in previously irradiated areas after the administration of certain inciting systemic agents. It was first described in 1959 by D'Angio that dermatitis is related to the application of actinomycin D on the skin. Though this reaction occurs frequently on the skin, it may also be seen in the oral mucosa, the larynx, esophagus, small intestine, lungs, muscle tissue, and brain. Most drugs associated with recall reactions are cytotoxics, however, several other drugs may also elicit the phenomenon. Although this phenomenon is well known, its etiology is not understood. Radiation recall reactions are generally associated with megavoltage radiotherapy. The time interval between the completion of radiotherapy and the recall reaction ranges from days to years. The recall reaction occurs on average 8 days (3 days to 2 months) after the application of the promoting agent. Although no standard treatment exists, some authors suggest discontinuation of the inciting drug and the use of corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

Improvement in histologic response but not survival in osteosarcoma patients treated with intensified chemotherapy: a randomized phase III trial of the European Osteosarcoma Intergroup

BACKGROUND

Previous randomized controlled trials that used the two-drug chemotherapy regimen of cisplatin and doxorubicin as the conventional arm showed no evidence of benefit from an increase in the number of agents or the length of treatment. It was then proposed that survival could be improved by increasing the planned dose intensity of cisplatin and doxorubicin.

METHODS

Previously untreated patients with nonmetastatic, high-grade, central osteosarcoma of an extremity were randomly assigned to Regimen-C (conventional treatment with six 3-week cycles of cisplatin [100 mg/m2 by 24-hour infusion] and doxorubicin [25 mg/m2/day by 4-hour infusion for 3 days]) or to Regimen-DI (intensified treatment with identical total doses of cisplatin and doxorubicin, planned as six 2-week cycles supported by granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). Surgery was scheduled for week 6 in both arms. Primary and secondary outcome measures were overall and progression-free survival, respectively. Intention-to-treat analyses were performed using standard survival analysis methods. Landmark analyses were performed in patients with known surgical details and centrally reviewed histologic response. All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

Between May 1993 and September 2002, treatment was randomly allocated to 497 eligible patients. Six cycles of chemotherapy were completed by 78% of patients in Regimen-C and 80% of patients in Regimen-DI. The delivered preoperative median dose intensity of cisplatin was 86% in Regimen-C and 111% in Regimen-DI (as the percentage of that planned for the conventional regimen). Postoperative median dose intensity of cisplatin was 82% in Regimen-C and 110% in Regimen-DI (the corresponding figures for doxorubicin dose intensity were similar). Regimen-DI was associated with lower risks of severe leucopenia and neutropenia and higher risks of thrombocytopenia and mucositis. Good histologic response (>90% tumor necrosis) was observed in 36% of Regimen-C patients and 50% of Regimen-DI patients (P = .003, chi2 test). There was no evidence of a difference in overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.71 to 1.24; P = .64) or progression-free survival (HR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.77 to 1.24; P = .83). Landmark analyses showed similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

Planned intensification of chemotherapy with cisplatin and doxorubicin increased received dose intensity and resulted in a statistically significant increase in favorable histologic response rate, but not in increased progression-free or overall survival. Our results call into question the use of histologic response as a surrogate outcome measure in trials of this disease.

SFOP OS94: a randomised trial comparing preoperative high-dose methotrexate plus doxorubicin to high-dose methotrexate plus etoposide and ifosfamide in osteosarcoma patients

The SFOP-OS94 randomised multi-centre trial was designed to determine whether preoperative chemotherapy regimen combining high-dose methotrexate courses and etoposide-ifosfamide could improve the proportion of good histologic response (5% viable cells) compared to a regimen based on high-dose methotrexate and doxorubicin, in children/adolescents with localised high-grade limb osteosarcoma. Postoperative chemotherapy was adapted to the histologic response. Overall, 234 patients were randomised between 1994 and 2001. There were 56% good responders in the etoposide-ifosfamide arm versus 39% in the doxorubicin arm (p-value=0.009). With a median follow-up of 77 months, the 5-year event-free survival of the entire population was 62%, slightly greater in the etoposide-ifosfamide arm than in the doxorubicin arm, but the difference was not significant (Hazard Ratio: HR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.5-1.06, p-value=0.09). Five-year overall survival of the entire population was 76%, similar in both arms (HR=0.95, 95%CI: 0.6-1.6, p-value=0.85). Toxicity was manageable with different acute toxicity profiles between treatment arms. No acute toxicity related death was reported. About 43% of the patients in the etoposide-ifosfamide arm were event-free at 3 years without having received any doxorubicin or cisplatin, thus avoiding the risk of long-term cardio- and ototoxicity.

Radiation recall dermatitis with pemetrexed

Pemetrexed has recently been approved for use in combination with cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Radiation therapy is frequently administered to the thoracic orifices and no data are available about the interactions between radiotherapy and pemetrexed. We report the first case of radiation recall dermatitis occurring after pemetrexed chemotherapy in a patient with MPM previously treated with radiation therapy to the thoracoscopy and drainage orifices. The patient received chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin 19 days after completion of chest wall radiation therapy delivering 21 gray in 3 days. Conventional premedication by folic acid and intramuscular administration of Vitamin B12 and prednisolone was correctly performed. Twelve days later, confluent erythematous and pruritus rash of the irradiated skin was observed. The toxicity grade of this lesion was evaluated at 2 according to the Acute Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria proposed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Pemetrexed challenge was performed without worsening of skin lesions. Three weeks later, skin cicatrisation was observed after a desquamative phase. Persistent hyperpigmentation was seen in the irradiated skin. Pemetrexed could also act as a radiosensitizing agent that should be used with care for several weeks after radiotherapy.

Radiation recall: A well recognized but neglected phenomenon

INTRODUCTION

Radiation recall is an inflammatory skin reaction at a previously irradiated field subsequent to the administration of a variety of pharmacologic agents. Although skin has been the major site of radiation recall toxicity, instances involving other organ have been reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data for this review were identified by searches of Medline and Cancerlit. The search terms "radiation", "recall", and "toxicity" were used. References identified from within retrieved articles were also used. There was no limitation on year of publication and no abstract forms were included. Only articles published in English were taken into consideration.

RESULTS

Idiosyncratic drug hypersensitivity phenomenon is a recent hypothesis which correlates best with the available facts at this moment. The phenomenon may occur days to years after radiotherapy has been completed. The majority of the drugs commonly used in cancer therapy have been involved in the radiation recall phenomenon. A mixed non-specific inflammatory infiltrate seems to be the common histopathologic criteria in previous published reports. Universally, corticosteroids or the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, in conjunction with withdrawal of the offending agent, produce prompt improvement.

CONCLUSION

We propose to collect all future radiation recall phenomenon in a Rare Cancer Network database in order to augment our understanding of this rare reaction.

Paget's sarcoma: a historical and outcome review

Paget's sarcoma is a rare entity that principally occurs in elderly people with extensive Paget's disease. The primary sites of occurrence are the pelvis, proximal femur, proximal humerus, and calvarium. The lesions are highly malignant and the patients frequently are found to have metastases at the time of discovery. The survival rate reported in the literature generally is very poor. We were able to locate 16 patients with Paget's sarcoma in the Dr. Henry L. Jaffe Pathology Collection treated from 1942 to 1967. These were added to 27 patients treated for the disease by the Harvard Orthopaedic Oncology Group from 1972 to 2001. Three were giant cell tumors, which are occasionally found in patients with florid Paget's disease but are not malignant. Of the remaining 40 patients, outcome data were available on 35 patients. The rate of Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Stage III tumors was very high (35%) and the rate of survival was 14% at approximately 2.5 years, without differences between the two series. In view of the remarkable concordance in the poor survival figures for patients treated between 1946 and 1967 and those treated between 1972 and 2001 it appears that little progress has occurred in the treatment of Paget's sarcoma over the years, which is in sharp contrast with the current statistics for standard osteosarcoma.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic study, Level IV (case series). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Non-myeloablative allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in a patient with refractory osteosarcoma

The prognosis of patients with relapsed osteosarcoma is dismal despite the use of intensive chemotherapy. We describe a patient with refractory osteosarcoma who underwent non-myeloablative peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from an human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling during a third complete remission. The patient suffered pulmonary relapse after the transplantation. Cyclosporin A withdrawal induced a graft-vs.-osteosarcoma effect and graft-vs.-host disease, but eventually the tumor progressed. Although our experience in this case suggested the presence of a graft-vs.-osteosarcoma effect during non-myeloablative allogenic PBSCT, this strategy might have limited value for refractory osteosarcoma with rapid growth kinetics.

Survival data for 648 patients with osteosarcoma treated at one institution

During the past 30 years, the orthopaedic oncology group at the Massachusetts General Hospital has treated 648 patients with osteosarcoma centrally located in the bone. Using records maintained in a specifically designed computer system, a study was done to assess the factors that seemed to influence the survival outcome. The overall survival for the entire series was 68% at an average followup of 6 +/- 4 years. Death occurred at a mean of 3 +/- 3 years. Patient gender had no effect, but age of the patient was correlated with survival data, with the poorest survival for the older patients. Surgical treatment had no effect on outcome, but the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society stage of the lesion, the presence of metastases or local recurrence, and the chemotherapeutic treatment (very dependent on the drugs available and adjuvant versus neoadjuvant administration at various decades) all had a profound effect. In addition, anatomic location, size of the tumor, and percentage of tumor cells killed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy all had an effect on outcome.

Characterizing the phenomenon of radiation recall dermatitis

Radiation recall represents the 'recalling' of an effect similar in appearance to that of an acute radiation reaction in a previously irradiated field. The recall is triggered by the administration of certain drugs days to years after the exposure to ionizing radiation. This review focuses almost exclusively on the skin manifestations of radiation recall to assemble the largest data base upon which to discuss this rare phenomenon. No absolute radiation dose threshold is apparent, but rather an interplay between dose and time before drug exposure seems to affect both the risk and speed of onset of recall. Recall usually occurs on first exposure to a particular recall-triggering drug. The skin reaction develops within minutes to days. The time to develop the reaction may be slightly longer for oral than intravenously administered drugs reflecting their bioavailability. Most drugs associated with recall are cytotoxics, but several other drugs may elicit the phenomenon. Individuals exposed to a number of potentially recall-triggering drugs reveal the marked drug specificity characteristic of the phenomenon. Skin reactions usually settle within a few days of stopping the triggering drug. The role of steroids or anti-histamines in affecting resolution is unclear. Drug rechallenge tends to produce either only a mild recurrence or no recurrence of recall. Steroids or dose reduction may favour uneventful rechallenge. A number of aetiological hypotheses on radiation recall exist. Using the available evidence these hypotheses are critically reviewed and a novel hypothesis based on radiation affecting local cutaneous immunological responses proposed.

Rehabilitation for limb salvage patients: kinesiological parameters and psychological assessment

Osteosarcoma is the most frequently occurring primary malignant tumor of bone, especially in adolescence. Treatment involves either limb salvage surgery or amputation with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This review article discusses the current treatment modalities for osteosarcoma and also compares the gait patterns and psychosocial profiles of patients treated with either limb salvage surgery or amputation for osteosarcoma. Contemporary orthopedic literature on therapeutic options for osteosarcoma patients is reviewed. Background information on the basic principles of kinesiology, with emphasis on studies of gait pattern differences among patients treated with limb salvage versus amputation, is presented. Finally, several studies of the psychologic profiles of patients after these two procedures for osteosarcoma are reviewed. Trends in contemporary orthopedic literature suggest that functional outcomes, in terms of kinesiologic parameters, are comparable for patients treated with either limb salvage or amputation. Both sets of patients reported quality-of-life problems, including difficulty retaining health insurance and finding appropriate employment, social isolation, and poor self-esteem. The management of patients with osteosarcoma includes not only an individualized surgical plan for each patient but also includes awareness of the patients' psychologic and social needs after surgery.

Current treatment of high grade osteosarcoma of the extremity: review

The authors review their lengthy experience in treating high grade osteosarcoma of the extremity. During the past 20 years many advances have been made in treating high grade osteosarcoma of the extremity. Twenty years ago, in spite of amputation, most patients with this tumor died, whereas today most are cured and amputation is avoided. These advances are mainly due to the development of effective adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens. This review reports on the progress and controversies in the treatment of osteosarcoma.