Childhood osteosarcoma: Incidence and survival in Argentina. Report from the National Pediatric Cancer Registry, ROHA Network 2000-2013

BACKGROUND

Differences in incidence and survival in osteosarcoma reports are considerable worldwide.

PURPOSE

This study describes the incidence and survival of patients with osteosarcoma in Argentina with data from the National Pediatric Cancer Registry (ROHA), and the impact of age, gender, stage, regional, and socioeconomic indicators on outcome.

METHODS

Pediatric patients with osteosarcoma reported to ROHA from 2000 through 2013 were analyzed, the annual age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) was calculated using the National Vital Statistics, and survival was estimated. The extended human development index (EHDI) for each reporting region was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

There were 515 cases of osteosarcoma identified, yielding an ASR of 3.2/1,000,000 children (0-14 years old). The ASR did not vary significantly by year of diagnosis but ranged from 4.0/1,000,000 in the Cuyo/Western Central region to 2.7/1,000,000 in the northeast region (P < 0.000). The estimated 5-year survival rate was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI] 44-51%), with no difference by sex, diagnosis year, region, or EHDI score (P > 0.1 in all cases). Survival rate for localized disease was 52% (95% CI 45-57%) and for metastatic 22% (95% CI 15-30%).

CONCLUSIONS

In Argentina, ASR of osteosarcoma is similar to that in high-income countries, but survival is lower in all regions. Future work will focus on identification and reduction of causes of preventable treatment failure.

Long-term effect of bilateral ovariectomy on endothelial function in aortic rings of spontaneously hypertensive rats: role of nitric oxide

Endothelial dysfunction associated with both menopause and hypertension could be one of the possible explanations for increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive postmenopausal women. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effect of menopause (bilateral ovariectomy) on endothelial function in isolated aortic rings of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Aortic rings were suspended in organ chambers filled with physiological salt solution (95% O2, 5% CO2, 37 degrees C), and isometric tension was measured. In studies designed to assess the tone-related release of nitric oxide (NO) from phenylephrine-precontracted aortic rings, we found that vasoconstriction induced by L-NAME was greater in aortic rings from sham-ovariectomized SHR (SHAM SHR) than in those obtained from ovariectomized SHR (OVX SHR). Concentration-related relaxant responses to superoxide dismutase were significantly greater in the SHAM SHR than in the OVX SHR. In contrast, receptor-mediated release of NO was not altered by ovariectomy, as deduced from acetylcholine (ACh) concentration-responses curves. Responses to the exogenous NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were also identical in both ovariectomized and sham-ovariectomized groups, ruling out differences in smooth muscle reactivity to NO. These results show that NO release is impaired in OVX SHR, an animal model of simultaneous hypertension and menopause.