Kozakewich H, Perez-Atayde A R, Goorin A M, Wilkinson R H, Gebhardt M C, Vawter G F
Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Cancer. 1991 Feb 1;67(3):638-42. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19910201)67:3<638::aid-cncr2820670319>3.0.co;2-t.
The clinicopathologic features of osteosarcoma in 12 children younger than 16 years of age treated at The Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, during a 70-year time period are presented. Only one of six children treated before 1972 is a long-term survivor. Four of six children (67%) treated after 1972 are disease-free with an average follow-up of 8.8 years. The year 1972 marked the onset of use of effective chemotherapy in osteosarcoma, namely, high-dose methotrexate and leucovorin rescue. It would appear that the pathologic features and behavior of osteosarcoma in young children is similar to that of osteosarcoma in older children and adolescents. A combination of complete (wide) surgical resection or amputation and aggressive chemotherapy offers the best chance of long-term survival.
