II. Epidemiology
- Bone Sarcoma is rare
- Incidence: 2500 U.S. cases diagnosed per year overall
- Of these, 1200 cases of Osteosarcoma are diagnosed
- Osteosarcoma is most common Bone Sarcoma and the most common Bone Cancer
- Third most common childhood malignancy
- Ages affected: 5-30 years (most common ages 10-20)
- Median Incidence age 12 years in girls and age 16 years in boys
- Rare after age 60 years
- Gender
- More common in males
- Race
- More common in black patients
III. Risk Factors
-
Genetic factors
- Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (p53 oncogene mutation)
- Retinoblastoma (Rb oncogene mutation)
- Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome (Autosomal Recessive)
- Other factors
- Radiation Therapy (precedes Osteosarcoma by 10-20 years)
- Orthopedic surgery with implanted metal prosthesis
- Paget Disease
IV. Pathophysiology
- High-grade mesenchymal tumor
- Primitive mesenchymal cells differentiate into Osteoblasts
- Osteoblasts generate malignant osteoid matrix
- Most common sites (60% of cases) of involvement
- Most common sites of metastasis
- Skip lesions
- Regional metastases form via satellite growth
- May be transarticular across a joint or intraosseous along the same bone
- Systemic metastases
- Lungs (most common)
- Distant bone (occurs after lung metastases)
- Skip lesions
- Growth
- Grows outward radially forming ball-like mass
- Metaphysis contains Growth Plate and Osteosarcomas are most common when bone growth is rapid
- Reactive Zone (Pseudocapsule composed of Muscle)
- Satellites (Tumor extension beyond pseudocapsule)
- Small tumor Nodules form outside pseudocapsule
- Microextension of tumor (satellites)
V. Symptoms
- Dull aching unilateral bone pain for several months
- Patient often presents for sudden worsening
- Referred pain is common in children
- Night pain may awaken patient from sleep
- Distinguishing feature from benign causes
- May be misdiagnosed associated with minor injury
- Growing Pains (e.g. Osgood Schlatter)
- Recent Knee Injury or strain
- Uncommon features
- Fever
- Night Sweats
- Weight loss
- Lymphadenopathy (think Osteomyelitis if present)
VI. Signs
VII. Differential diagnosis
- Ewing's Sarcoma
- Osteomyelitis
- Osteoblastoma
- Giant Cell Tumor
- Aneurysmal bone cyst
- Fibrous dysplasia
VIII. Imaging
- Bone XRay
- Sunburst appearance (radiating calcifications)
- Dense sclerosis (small, irregular cloud-like densities) most commonly at metaphysis
- Lytic lesions (30% of cases)
- Pathologic Fractures
- Bone MRI
- Defines tumor involvement
- Intraosseous and extraosseous changes
- Soft tissue extension (75% of cases)
- Skip lesions
- Neurovascular involvement
- Used preoperatively
- Establishes surgical margins (2-3 cm from tumor)
- Establishes resectability
- Defines tumor involvement
- Bone CT with contrast
- Preferred over MRI if significant edema and necrosis
- Defines neurovascular structures via IV contrast
- Other measures used in defining tumor involvement
- Chest XRay
- Up to 20% of patients present with lung metastases
- Bone scintigraphy
- Thallium scintigraphy
- Angiography
- Chest XRay
IX. Staging (Enneking system)
- Stage I: Low-grade tumor
- Stage IA: Intracompartmental
- Stage IB: Extracompartmental
- Stage II: High grade tumor
- Stage IIA: Intracompartmental
- Stage IIB: Extracompartmental
- Stage III: Metastatic disease from either grade
- Enneking (1980) Clin Orthop 153:106-20 [PubMed]
X. Monitoring
- Timing
- First 2 years after treatment: Every 3 months
- Two to 5 years after treatment: Every 6 months
- Five or more years after treatment: Annual
- Protocol
- Serial Physical exams
- Palpate extremity for masses
- Assess for prosthetic failure or Infection
- Serial XRay of involved limb
- Serial CT Chest
- Baseline, at time of diagnosis
- Repeat every 6 months to 2 years
- Serial Physical exams
- Additional testing
- Bone scan annually for first 2 years
XI. Management
- Surgery (preceded and followed by Chemotherapy)
- Limb salvage in most cases
- Amputation in some cases of large tumor, vital structure risk, tumor progression or poor response
- Tumor resection with clear margins and limb reconstruction
- Limb salvage in most cases
-
Chemotherapy
- Phases
- Neoadjuvant (pre-operative Chemotherapy)
- Adjuvant (post-operative Chemotherapy)
- Common Agents used
- Cisplatin
- Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)
- Methotrexate (high dose)
- Additional agents may be used in combination (e.g. Etoposide, Isosfamide)
- Phases
XII. Prognosis: Survival
- Eligible for limb sparing surgery in U.S.: 90-95%
- Contrast with 100% amputation rate before 1970
- Long-term survival with localized disease: 60-80%
- Contrast with 80% mortality rate before 1970
XIII. Prognosis: Predictive factors (same as for Ewing's Sarcoma)
- Positive prognostic factors
- Localized extremity disease
- Clear margins on surgical resection
- Tumor necrosis response >90%
- Negative prognostic factors
- Incomplete surgical resection
- Older patient age at onset
- Poor Chemotherapy response
- Metastases present
- Axial skeleton primary tumors
- Tumor >8 cm in size
XIV. References
- Abeloff (2000) Clinical Oncology, Churchill, p. 2170-97
- Canale (1998) Campbell's Orthopaedics, Mosby, p. 715-7
- Ferguson (2018) Am Fam Physician 98(4): 205-13 [PubMed]
- Wittig (2002) Am Fam Physician 65(6): 1123-32 [PubMed]