Intra-arterial cisplatin given prior to surgery in osteosarcoma: grade of necrosis and size of tumor as major prognostic factors.

From January 1983 to August 1987, 29 evaluable patients with high-grade osteosarcoma were treated in our institution with preoperative intra-atrial cisplatin, 100 mg/m2 every 14 days for three courses. Surgery was done on day 42. Surgery consisted of limb salvage in six, amputations in 15, and disarticulations in eight. Postoperative chemotherapy included Adriamycin (ADR), 45 mg/m2 for 2 days every 6 weeks, alternated with cisplatin 120 mg/m2 every 6 weeks. The nephrotoxicity (18 out 29) was reversible in all cases. Cardiotoxicity was prominent; it was observed in 31% of patients. In six, there was congestive heart failure, but there were no fatal cases. The hematological toxicity was severe. There were three patients with fatal infections who had no evidence of disease after they had finished treatment. Seventeen of 29 patients (58.6%) were good responders and showed 60-100% tumoral necrosis after intra-atrial cisplatin. The 6-year, relapse-free survival rate was 58.6%--70.5% for the good responders and 41.6% for the poor responders (p less than 0.05). The size of the tumor was the other important prognostic factor. The rate of 6-year, relapse-free survival was 73.6% for small tumors (those measuring less than 100 cm2) and 33.3% for large tumors (p less than 0.05).