[Treatment and prognosis of sacrococcygeal chordoma--study of bone tumor registry in Japan].

Prognosis of chordoma arising in the sacrococcygeal area is difficult to assess because of the small number cases and lack of statistics in Japan. From the bone tumor registry we selected records on sacrococcygeal chordoma cases and sent a questionnaire to many hospitals regarding staging, surgical approach, surgical procedure, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, complications and prognosis of this tumor. The results of the questionnaire (32 cases) showed that combined surgery and radiotherapy were the best methods. This survival rate was 85% in five years and 43% in ten years. In the surgical procedure the extralesional excision resulted in a high recurrence rate (73%) three years after operation, and in the case of intralesional excision an even higher rate (91%). We assume this is a problem of the excisional method. In the staging system, the intracompartment tumors have a better prognosis. Early stage discovery and surgical treatment is of vital importance.