BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for synovial sarcoma remains controversial. Treatment, outcome, and prognostic factors in patients treated in a single institution were examined.METHODS: Synovial sarcoma patients who underwent surgery at the Rizzoli Institute between 1976 and 2006 were identified and analyzed.RESULTS: Characteristics of the 250 patients (128 female; 122 male) included: median age, 37 years (range, 7‐83 years); 177 (71%) with tumors in the lower extremity, 40 (16%) with tumors in the upper extremity, and 33 with tumors in the trunk (13%); primary lesion size >5 cm in 121 patients (55%); and 204 (82%) patients with localized disease and 46 (18%) with metastatic disease at the time of presentation. All patients with localized disease underwent surgery. Twenty‐four percent of patients underwent amputation. Adequate surgical margins were achieved in 88% patients. In patients with localized disease, radiotherapy was administered to 103 (50%) patients, and chemotherapy to 98 (48%). With a median follow‐up of 5.5 years (range, 1‐30 years), the 5‐year overall survival rate was 10% for patients with metastatic disease and 76% for patients with localized disease (P = .0001). The 5‐year event‐free survival was 58% in patients with localized disease. Multivariate analysis indicated that size, age, histologic subtype, and the use of radiotherapy were independent factors for event‐free survival.CONCLUSIONS: In those patients with localized disease, a good rate of cure can be achieved. Age, size, histology, and use of radiotherapy influence prognosis, whereas to the authors' knowledge, the role of adjuvant chemotherapy remains unproven. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND: Patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma have achieved longer survival over the past decades, but late side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy have become important concerns.METHODS: The authors reviewed all patients with localized osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma who had been enrolled in the Italian Sarcoma Group neoadjuvant protocols from 1983 through 2006. Data were updated in December 2010 to determine 3 endpoints: the incidence of a secondary primary cancer (designated as “second malignant neoplasm” [SMN]), infertility, and cardiotoxicity.RESULTS: Data were available on 883 patients with osteosarcoma and 543 patients with Ewing sarcoma. In the osteosarcoma group, there were 39 SMNs (4.4%) in 36 patients; in the Ewing sarcoma group, 15 patients (2.8%) experienced a single SMN each. The cumulative 10‐year and 20‐year incidence of an SMN (±standard error) was 4.9% ± 0.9% and 6.1% ± 1.2%, respectively, in the osteosarcoma group and 3.4% ± 0.9% and 4.7% ± 1.6%, respectively, in the Ewing sarcoma group. The most common SMN in the osteosarcoma group was breast cancer (n = 11), and the most common SMN in the Ewing sarcoma group was radiotherapy‐induced osteosarcoma (n = 6). After 20 years, the risk of developing an SMN increased, whereas the risk of a recurrence of the primary tumor decreased. Permanent sterility was more common in males than in females. Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity occurred in 18 patients with osteosarcoma (2%) and in 7 patients with Ewing sarcoma (1.3%).CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of late side effects in long‐term survivors of primary bone cancers should encourage longer follow‐up. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND: For patients who have chondrosarcoma with unresectable disease, because of tumor location, tumor size, or extensive metastatic disease, treatment options are very limited because of their relative resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The overall survival of this patient population is poor; however, specific studies are lacking, and large series have not been published. Therefore, the authors conducted this retrospective, 2‐center study to gain insight into the outcome of patients with advanced, unresectable, conventional central chondrosarcoma.METHODS: All patients with unresectable conventional central chondrosarcoma who were diagnosed between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 2011 in 2 major European bone sarcoma centers (Rizzoli Institute, Bologna, Italy and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands) were selected. Relevant information was collected from the medical records at both centers.RESULTS: In total, 171 patients met the selection criteria. The overall survival rate for all patients was 48% at 1 year, 24% at 2 years, 12% at 3 years, 6% at 4 years, and 2% at 5 years. Patients with unresectable, locally advanced disease without distant metastases had a significantly better survival than patients with metastatic disease (P = .0014). Systemic treatment, consisting of either doxorubicin‐based chemotherapy or the noncytotoxic drugs imatinib and sirolimus, improved survival significantly compared with no treatment (P = .0487). For patients who had locally advanced disease without metastases, radiotherapy was associated with a survival benefit (P = .0032).CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a standard for overall survival rates after a diagnosis of unresectable conventional central chondrosarcoma. Systemic treatment and radiotherapy may improve survival, although selection bias because of the retrospective nature of this study may have influenced the outcome. The poor survival underlines the need for new therapeutic options for this patient population. Cancer 2014;120:3159–3164. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze improvements in overall survival over 21 years (1982–2002), with a 5-year minimum follow-up, in the largest series from a single center ever reported. Materials and methods: All diagnoses of high-grade osteosarcoma were included despite histological varieties, age, site and stage. Of the 1656 cases observed, 198 patients were excluded (41 consultation only, 129 low-grade varieties, and 28 lost to follow-up). Within 1458 included patients, 1032 had characteristics to be enrolled in conventional clinical trials (classic histology, age <41, localized, and extremity disease). Data are also analyzed in subgroups to define patients who benefited most. Results: With a median follow-up of 12 years (5–25 years), 754 patients (51.7%) are alive, of whom 613 continuously disease free. Survival at 5, 10, and 15 years is 57%, 52%, and 51%, respectively. Patients candidates for clinical trials have a survival rate of 68%, 64%, and 61%, respectively. Survival for the other patients is 30%, 25%, and 24%, respectively. Trend (joinpoint statistical analysis at real 5-year follow-up) shows a yearly statistically significant improvement of 1.31% (95% confidence interval 0.5% to 2.1%) from 51% for patients treated in 1982 to 68% for those treated in 2002. Patients who statistically benefited were those who relapsed or presented with metastatic disease at diagnosis or had axial tumors. Conclusions: Despite the lack of new drugs for osteosarcoma, survival has statistically improved, especially for those patients with the worst outcome. Aggressive treatments are recommended for all patients including those with poor prognosis.

Purpose: We reviewed the outcome of osteosarcoma patients older than 65 years, an age group usually excluded from protocols, to determine the different clinical features and prognostic factors in this age group compared with younger patients. Patients and Methods: Patients treated at our institute who had high-grade osteosarcoma and were older than 65 years were observed. Results: Forty-three patients were eligible to be enrolled onto this study; of these, 22 were male and 21 were female. The median age of this group was 69 years (range, 65 to 80 years). Of the 43 patients, 29 patients had localized disease, and 14 patients had metastatic disease. Localizations were appendicular in 33 patients, and axial in 10 patients. Twenty-nine patients had a primary osteosarcoma, 13 patients (30%) had a sarcoma in Paget's disease, and one patient had postradiotherapy (RT) osteosarcoma. The median interval from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 4 months (range, 0 to 73 months).Thirty-two of 43 patients received surgery for a primary tumor. Of these, 18 patients had limb salvage, 13 patients had an amputation, and one patient had palliative surgery; the remaining 11 patients received palliative RT. Fourteen patients received chemotherapy; two deaths related to chemotherapy were observed. Median overall survival (OS) for all 43 patients was 19 months (range, 3 to 229 months); 5-year OS was 22% (SE = 3%) for the whole group, and 45% OS for those patients with localized primary osteosarcoma. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that stage, volume, and surgery were significant prognostic factors. Insignificant prognostic factors were sex, type of surgery, chemotherapy, and Paget's disease. Conclusion: Patients older than 65 years with osteosarcoma have a worse prognosis compared with younger patients. This older age group is characterized by a longer time lapse from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis, more metastatic cases at diagnosis, less use of limb salvage, fewer patients receiving chemotherapy, and more patients excluded from clinical trials than a younger age group.