Exploring Pediatric Vertebral, Sacral, and Pelvic Osteosarcomas through the NCDB: Demographics, Treatment Utilization, and Survival Outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Retrieve data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to examine information on the epidemiological prevalence, treatment strategies, and survival outcomes of pediatric vertebral, sacral and pelvic osteosarcomas.

METHODS

We reviewed NCDB data from 2008 to 2018, concentrating on vertebral, sacral, and pelvic osteosarcomas in children 0 to 21 years. Our analysis involved logistic and Poisson regression, Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

The study population included 207 patients. For vertebral osteosarcomas, 62.5% of patients were female, and 78.1% were white. Regional lymph node involvement predicted 80 times higher mortality hazard ( = 0.021). Distant metastasis predicted 25 times higher mortality hazard ( = 0.027). For sacral and pelvic osteosarcomas, 58.3% of patients were male, and 72% were white. Patients with residual tumor were 4 times more likely to have prolonged LOS ( = 0.031). No residual tumor (HR = 0.53, = 0.03) and radiotherapy receipt (HR = 0.46, = 0.034) were associated with lower mortality hazards. Distant metastasis predicted 3 times higher mortality hazard ( < 0.001). Hispanic ethnicity was linked to lower resection odds (OR = 0.342, = 0.043), possibly due to language barriers affecting patient understanding and care decisions.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, our examination of NCDB offers a thorough exploration of demographics, treatment patterns, and results, highlighting the importance of personalized approaches to enhance patient outcomes.