Sinonasal Osteosarcoma: Report of 14 New Cases and Systematic Review of the Literature

Objective  The objective of this study is to describe the clinical presentation, tumor characteristics, natural history, and treatment patterns of sinonasal osteosarcoma. Methods  Fourteen patients who had been treated for osteosarcoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses at a tertiary care center were reviewed. In addition, a systematic review of the literature for osteosarcoma of the sinonasal cavity was performed. Results  In a systematic review, including 14 patients from the authors' institution, 53 total studies including 88 patients were assessed. Median follow-up was 18 months (interquartile range: 8-39 months). The most common presenting symptoms were facial mass or swelling (34%), and nasal obstruction (30%). The most common paranasal sinus involved by tumor was the maxillary sinus (64%), followed by the ethmoid sinuses (52%). The orbit (33%), dura (13%) and infratemporal fossa (10%) were the most common sites of local invasion. The majority of patients underwent surgery followed by adjuvant therapy (52.4%). Increasing age was associated with decreased overall survival rate (unit risk ratio [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 1.02 [1.003-1.043]; p  = 0.0216) and T4 disease was associated with decreased disease-specific survival rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.87; p  = 0.0495). The 2- and 5-year overall survival rates were 68 and 40%, respectively, while 2- and 5-year disease-specific survival rates were 71% and 44%, respectively. Conclusion  Sinonasal osteosarcomas are uncommon tumors and can pose a significant therapeutic challenge. Increasing age and T4 disease are associated with worse prognosis. This disease usually warrants consultation by a multidisciplinary team and consideration of multimodality therapy.

Primary and radiation induced skull base osteosarcoma: a systematic review of clinical features and treatment outcomes

PURPOSE

We aim to systematically review and summarize the demographics, clinical features, management strategies, and clinical outcomes of primary and radiation-induced skull-base osteosarcoma (SBO).

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were used to identify relevant articles. Papers including SBO cases and sufficient clinical outcome data were included. A comprehensive clinical characteristic review and survival analysis were also conducted.

RESULTS

Forty-one studies describing 67 patients were included. The median age was 31 years (male = 59.7%). The middle skull-base was most commonly involved (52.7%), followed by anterior (34.5%) and posterior (12.7%) skull-base. Headache (27%), exophthalmos (18%), and diplopia (10%) were common presenting symptoms. Sixty-eight percent of patients had primary SBO, while 25% had radiation-induced SBO. Surgery was the main treatment modality in 89% of cases. Chemotherapy was administered in 65.7% and radiotherapy in 50%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12 months, and the overall 5-year survival was 22%. The five-year survival rates of radiation-induced SBO and primary SBO were 39% and 16%, respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

SBO is a malignant disease with poor survival outcomes. Surgical resection is the primary management modality, in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Radiation-induced SBO has a superior survival outcome as compared to its primary counterpart. Complete surgical resection showed a statistically insignificant survival benefit as compared to partial resection.

Determinants of Survival in Skull Base Osteosarcoma: A National Cancer Database Study

OBJECTIVE

Skull base osteosarcoma is a rare and aggressive tumor that is most commonly treated with primary surgical resection and adjuvant chemoradiation. Using the National Cancer Database, we analyzed demographic and clinical prognosticators for overall survival (OS).

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried for cases of histologically confirmed skull base osteosarcoma treated between 2004 and 2015, excluding patients receiving palliation or having <1 month of follow-up. A total of 314 patients treated with surgery alone (n = 82), surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy (n = 35), surgery with chemotherapy (n = 114), or trimodality therapy (n = 56) were identified. The χ² test for categorical variables, Cox proportional hazards models, and Kaplan-Meier log-rank analysis were used to test associations with treatment, OS, and survival time.

RESULTS

None of the studied demographic characteristics (age, sex, race, overall health) and socioeconomic factors (income and average regional education) were associated with OS (none P < 0.05). Treatment modalities also did not show a significant association with OS (none P < 0.05). Certain tumor characteristics showed an association with OS, with fibroblastic and Paget histologic subtypes (each P = 0.003), poorly differentiated tumor grade (P = 0.03), and tumor size >5 cm (P = 0.045) associated with poorer OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor histologic subtype, advanced tumor grade, and greater tumor size are predictors of worse OS in skull base osteosarcoma. No significant differences in OS were identified based on treatment modality, which warrants further investigation.

Second Malignancies after Radiation Therapy: Update on Pathogenesis and Cross-sectional Imaging Findings

A wide spectrum of second cancers occur as late complications of radiation therapy (RT) used to treat various malignancies. In addition to the type and dose of radiation, lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors are important to the development of second malignancies in cancer survivors. Typically, RT-induced malignancies (RTIMs) are biologically aggressive cancers with a variable period of 5-10 years for hematologic malignancies and 10-60 years for solid tumors between RT and the development of the second cancer. Although carcinomas and leukemias commonly develop after low-dose RT, sarcomas occur in tissues or organs that receive high-dose RT. Angiosarcomas and unclassified pleomorphic sarcomas are the two most common RT-associated sarcomas; other sarcomas include malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, leiomyosarcomas, osteosarcomas, chondrosarcomas, and dedifferentiated or pleomorphic liposarcomas. Select RTIMs show tumor genetic characteristics that allow accurate diagnosis. Nearly all cutaneous angiosarcomas after RT for breast cancer and 90% of RT-associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are characterized by MYC gene amplifications and loss of H3 K27me3 expression, respectively. Classic papillary thyroid carcinomas that develop after RT frequently harbor RET/PTC rearrangements and have a favorable prognosis, despite their advanced stage at patient presentation. Select RTIMs demonstrate characteristic imaging findings and typically develop in the prior radiation field. Imaging is essential to early diagnosis, characterization, localization, and staging of RTIMs. Familiarity of radiologists with the diverse spectrum of RTIMs is essential for early diagnosis and optimal management. An invited commentary by Shapiro is available online. ^©RSNA, 2021.

Radiation-Induced Sarcoma of the Head and Neck Following Radiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Single Institutional Experience and Literature Review

Background and Objective

Radiotherapy (RT) is the primary treatment option for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but it is associated with radiation-induced sarcomas (RISs). This study aims to investigate clinicopathological features and head and neck RIS prognosis after NPC RT.

Methods

The medical and radiological records of the NPC patients (n =14,074) referred to Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hang Zhou, China between January 1995 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 22 patients were determined to have RIS after RT for NPC. The clinicopathological data, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up results of 22 patients with RIS were analyzed in this retrospective research. All 22 patients underwent surgery as the main treatment. The levels of Overall Survival (OS) were determined through the Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

Among these patients, 13 were males and nine females with the male/female ratio of 1.44:1. The age during the primary RT of NPC ranged from 25 to 61 years old (median age: 37 years old). Patients' ages ranged from 33 to 73 years old (median age: 52.5 years old) when diagnosed with RIS. The latency period for development of the RIS was between 3 and 36 years (median: 8.5 years) after RT. In this cohort, R0 resection was achieved in 13 cases, R1 resection in five cases, and R2 resection in four cases. During the follow-up period ranged from 2 to 102 months (median 14 months), 15 patients had died of the disease. Kaplan-Meier method showed that the 2-year, 3-year, and the 5-year cumulative OS rate was 50.3, 43.2, and 14.4%, respectively. The median survival time was 34 months. Surgical resection with R0 resection achieves a significantly better prognosis (P = 0.012). Patients under the age of 37 years old at the time of initial RT had a relatively better prognosis (P = 0.035).

Conclusions

Although the incidence of RIS after RT of NPC is generally low, the treatment of RIS is very difficult. The RISs are associated with poor overall prognosis. R0 resection can improve the prognosis thus it should be considered as the primary and optimal choice for the treatment of RIS.

Radiation-induced intracranial osteosarcoma of the anterior skull base after treatment of esthesioneuroblastoma

Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) is an uncommon sinonasal cancer of the olfactory neuroepithelium that is typically treated with surgical resection followed by radiation therapy. Radiation-induced intracranial osteosarcoma of the skull base is a rare but devastating long-term complication of radiation therapy in this region. Here, we present a case of an 82-year-old patient who developed radiation-induced osteosarcoma of the anterior skull base and paranasal sinuses 10 years after radiation therapy following resection of an ENB. Older patients may be at risk of developing this complication earlier and with a worse prognosis relative to younger patients. Treating physicians/surgeons should be aware of this devastating complication. Patients who are treated with high-dose radiation therapy in this region should be followed for many years.

Radiation-Induced Sarcomas of the Head and Neck: A Systematic Review

Introduction

As a result of the increased use of radiotherapy (RT) and improved long-term overall survival of patients with cancers of the head and neck (HN), the frequency of radiation-induced sarcomas of the head and neck (RISHN) may be increasing. The main objective of this systematic review was to determine the existing evidence on the frequency, treatment, and outcome of RISHN.

Methods

Using PRISMA guidelines we conducted a systematic review of the literature published from 2000 to 2020.

Results

Our review includes data of 560 patients from 64 articles. The total frequency of RISHNs among the reviewed series was 0.15%. The most frequent location of the primary tumor treated by RT was the nasopharynx. The mean RT dose used was 62 Gy, mean latency interval between irradiation and occurrence of RISHN was 11.1 years, and the most common RISHN location was the sinonasal region. Osteosarcoma was the principal histology, followed by fibrosarcoma. Surgery was the most frequently applied treatment modality. Of all patients with RISHN, 40.7% died of this disease after a mean interval of 13.9 months.

Conclusions

Notwithstanding the increased use of RT, the number of reported RISHNs has not increased substantially during the past two decades. Surgery with wide margins forms the best therapeutic option for these cases, but the outcome remains poor.

Treatment of canine oral papillary squamous cell carcinoma using definitive-intent radiation as a monotherapy-a case series

Canine oral papillary squamous cell carcinoma (COPSCC) is a rare neoplasm and although locally invasive it carries a favourable prognosis following wide surgical excision. Radiotherapy has been reported to be effective as an adjunct treatment to surgery. However, limited information is available on the role of radiotherapy as single treatment. This single‐institution retrospective study describes a series of 10 dogs diagnosed with macroscopic COPSCC that were treated with definitive‐intent radiotherapy (DRT) as a monotherapy. These dogs had a median age of 4 years (range: 0.4‐9.6 years). The tumour was located in the rostral oral cavity in all cases with a median tumour size of 2.5 cm (range: 0.8‐6.8 cm). No local or distant metastases were identified. All dogs were treated with electron beam DRT (>32Gy, 10‐16 daily fractions of 3.2Gy). The median follow‐up time was 961 days (range: 333‐3.498 days) with nine dogs achieving a complete response and one dog a partial response. The dog with the partial response developed disease progression at 228 days after initiation of radiotherapy. Two dogs died from non‐tumour‐related causes. The remaining seven dogs were still alive and in complete remission at the time of last follow‐up. Median progression‐free survival time and median survival time were not reached. DRT was generally well tolerated, but all dogs experienced self‐limiting acute radiation mucositis (grade 2‐3) and/or dermatitis (grade 1). No late radiation toxicity was observed. Macroscopic COPSCC appears to be a radiosensitive tumour that can be successfully treated with DRT eliminating the need for aggressive surgery in advanced cases.

Radiation therapy strategies for skull-base malignancies

INTRODUCTION

The management of skull base malignancies continues to evolve with improvements in surgical technique, advances in radiation delivery and novel systemic agents.

METHODS

In this review, we aim to discuss in detail the management of common skull base pathologies which typically require multimodality therapy, focusing on the radiotherapeutic aspects of care.

RESULTS

Technological advances in the administration of radiation therapy have led to a wide variety of different treatment strategies for the treatment of skull base malignances, with outcomes summarized herein.

CONCLUSION

Radiation treatment plays a key and critical role in the management of patients with skull base tumors. Recent advancements continue to improve the risk/benefit ratio for radiotherapy in this setting.

CT and MRI features of calvarium and skull base osteosarcoma (CSBO)

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the CT and MRI features of calvarium and skull base osteosarcoma (CSBO).

METHODS

The CT and MRI features and pathological characteristics of 12 cases of pathologically confirmed CSBO were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

12 patients (age range 9-67 years; 3 male, 9 female) were included in the study. Tumours occurred in skull base (7, 58.3%), temporal (4, 33.3%) and frontal (1, 8.3%). Among all, six patients received radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. According to pathology, 11 out of 12 tumours were high-grade (91.7%). On CT, all the tumours had soft tissue mass penetrated into cortical bone with invasion of surrounding soft tissue. Six tumours were shown to have lytic density and six were mixed density. Matrix mineralization was present in 10 cases (83.3%). On MRI, tumours presented as soft-tissue masses measuring 5.9 ± 2.4 (3.9-8.0) cm. Five tumours showed low signal intensities on T₁ weighted imaging with seven having heterogeneous signal intensities. One showed low signal intensity on T₂ weighted imaging, two showed high signal intensities and nine heterogeneous signal intensities. All the tumours showed low signal intensities on diffusion-weighted imaging. On contrast enhanced images, seven cases showed heterogeneous enhancement, three showed peripheral enhancementand and two showed homogeneous enhancement. Dural tail sign were detected in nine cases.

CONCLUSION

CSBO is rare, and is commonly associated with previous radiation exposure. A presumptive diagnosis for osteosarcoma should be considered when calvarium and skull base tumours with osteoid matrix and duraltail sign are found.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

CT and MR features of CSBO have not been reported. The study helps to identify CSBO and other sarcomas.

Primary osteosarcoma of the skull in teenager

Osteosarcoma of the skull is a rare primary malignant bone tumour in children, representing 1-2% of all cranial tumours. We describe a case of a 17-year-old adolescent with chondroblastic osteosarcoma of the parietal-occipital bone and no distant metastases at presentation treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery and, later, concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The patient suffered progressive disease and died 15 months after diagnosis. There are at least 15 paediatric cases of osteosarcoma of the skull described in the literature. Due to its rarity, there are no broad prospective studies on this entity, which has distinctive features when compared to other craniofacial tumours, carrying a worse prognosis. Complete surgical resection is needed for long-term survival, whereas chemotherapy and radiotherapy have still questionable indications.

Low-Grade Surface Osteosarcoma of the Temporal Bone in Paediatric Patients: A Case Report and Literature Review

Purpose of the study:

Primary osteosarcoma of the temporal bone is an exceedingly rare pathology in the paediatric population. As of now, only 3 cases have been reported in the English literature. We describe the additional case of a 16-year-old girl with an osteosarcoma of the mastoid bone. This study aims to report a rare paediatric case of low-grade surface osteosarcoma of the temporal bone.

Materials and methods used:

A literature review was performed to better understand paediatric osteosarcomas of the head and neck region, to optimize their investigation, to describe their histopathological and radiological characteristics, and to establish the optimal modalities of medical and surgical treatments. The research of previous published data was done using PubMed and Embase library with the keywords mentioned below.

Results:

The patient presented with a rapidly progressive left retroauricular lesion over a 3-week period. Radiological studies demonstrated aggressive and invasive features. An open biopsy followed and confirmed the diagnosis of a low-grade surface osteosarcoma. In accordance with the multidisciplinary team, we decided to perform a complete surgical resection with wide surgical margins. We did not administer any adjuvant therapies. A control computed tomography (CT) scan obtained 26 months postoperatively still showed no signs of recurrence.

Conclusion:

Osteosarcomas are aggressive malignant neoplasms found in the head and neck region in only 6% to 10% of cases. They represent approximately 1% of head and neck cancers, and these are generally high-grade lesions. Temporal bone involvement is rare, particularly for low-grade lesions in paediatric patients. In addition to reporting the fourth paediatric case of primary temporal bone osteosarcoma, this study describes its specific clinical, histopathological, and radiological findings, to improve the management and the prognostic of patients affected with this particular clinical entity.

Management for Different Glioma Subtypes: Are All Low-Grade Gliomas Created Equal?

Following the identification of key molecular alterations that provided superior prognostication and led to the updated 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumor Classification, the understanding of glioma behavior has rapidly evolved. Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 and 2 are present in the majority of adult grade 2 and 3 gliomas, and when used in conjunction with 1p/19q codeletion for classification, the prognostic distinction between grade 2 versus grade 3 is diminished. As such, the previously often used term of "low-grade glioma," which referred to grade 2 gliomas, has now been replaced by the phrase "lower-grade glioma" to encompass both grade 2 and 3 tumors. Additional molecular characterization is ongoing to even further classify this heterogeneous group of tumors. With such a colossal shift in the understanding of lower-grade gliomas, management of disease is being redefined in the setting of emerging molecular-genetic biomarkers. In this article, we review recent progress and future directions regarding the surgical, radiotherapeutic, chemotherapeutic, and long-term management of adult lower-grade gliomas.

Osteosarcoma of the jaw - experience at the Medical University Vienna and comparative study with international tumor registries

OBJECTIVES

Osteosarcoma of the jaw (OSAJ) is fundamentally different in clinical practice from its peripheral counterparts. Studies are difficult to conduct due to low incidence rates. The primary aim of this study was to provide for the first time a comprehensive retrospective analysis of the treatment concepts and outcome data of OSAJ patients treated at the University Hospital Vienna and to compare these with two recently published studies on OSAJ. The clinical study was accompanied by a biomarker study investigating the prognostic relevance of melanoma-associated antigen-A (MAGE-A) in OSAJ specimens.

METHOD

Eighteen patients were included, and their outcomes were compared to published data. Immunohistochemistry was performed with mouse monoclonal antibodies against MAGE-A. Survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meyer method. The log-rank test was used to analyze potential prognostic parameters. Fisher's exact test was performed to define the significant differences between the survival rates of the current study and the DOESAK registry.

RESULTS

Disease-specific survival was 93.8% after five and 56.3% after ten years. The development of metastases (p=0.033) or relapse (p=0.037) was associated with worsened outcomes in our group as well as in the comparative group. Despite the different treatment concepts of the study groups, survival rates were comparable. MAGE-A failed to show prognostic relevance for OSAJ patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Uncertainties about the optimal treatment strategies of OSAJ patients will currently remain. Thus, prospective studies of OSAJ are needed but are only feasible in a multicenter study setting, conducted over a prolonged time period.

Primary osteosarcoma of the cranial vault

Only 5-10% of osteosarcomas arise from the craniofacial bones. We report the case of a 14-year-old female patient who presented with headache and a mass that had been growing in the left frontoparietal region for six months. We describe the findings on conventional radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Secondary Craniofacial Sarcomas Following Retinoblastoma: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

We conducted the largest systematic review of individual patient data to characterize secondary craniofacial sarcomas following retinoblastoma.

METHODS

We conducted a systemic search of the PubMed databases and compiled a comprehensive literature review. Student t tests were used to evaluate differences between variables. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate survival. Statistical significance was assessed using a log-rank test.

RESULTS

We analyzed 220 cases of secondary craniofacial sarcomas, including 112 osteosarcomas. The average age (±SD) of onset for retinoblastoma was 1.20 ± 2.77 years. External-beam radiotherapy was delivered in 207 patients (94.0%) and chemotherapy was delivered in 53 patients (24.0%) patients. The latency period between retinoblastoma diagnosis and the onset of secondary sarcomas was 12 years. Cranial extension was found in 66 patients (30.0%). The median overall survival was worse with cranial extension (P = 0.0073). In cranial extended patients, the median survival in patients who received chemotherapy was 41 months, whereas patients who did not receive chemotherapy had a median survival of 12 months (P = 0.0020).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of incidence of secondary sarcomas in retinoblastoma patients warrants longer follow-up periods. Moreover, chemotherapy should be considered as a potential treatment option for secondary cranial sarcomas following retinoblastoma.

Radiation-induced osteosarcoma after Gamma Knife surgery for vestibular schwannoma: a case report and literature review

We present a rare case of radiation-induced osteosarcoma following Gamma Knife^® surgery (GKS) for a vestibular schwannoma (VS). A 49-year-old female with sporadic VS underwent GKS. Serial follow-up imaging showed that the tumor size decreased. Six years after GKS, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated regrowth of the tumor. The tumor was removed via the retrosigmoid approach. Interestingly, the final pathology report confirmed osteosarcoma arising in schwannoma with direct transition (osteosarcoma component: 90 %, schwannoma component: 10 %). The osteosarcoma was considered to be a radiation-induced malignancy. The possibility of this rare complication should be explained to the patient before GKS, and the patient should be screened periodically after GKS.

Radiation-induced osteosarcoma of the skull base after radiation therapy in a patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

Background

Radiation-induced osteosarcomas are a recognized complication of radiation therapy. Owing to the fact that it is rare, publications on radiation-induced osteosarcoma of the skull base are limited to a small series and some case reports.

Case presentation

We describe a rare case of a patient with a skull base radiation-induced osteosarcoma treated 11 years before with ionizing radiation for an undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx. The patient was treated with chemotherapy alone, but he died after the third cycle.

Conclusions

Radiation-induced osteosarcoma of the skull base after treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a very rare but very aggressive complication with a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy gives bad results, and regular follow-up of treated patients should be considered.

Clinical Characteristics of Radiation-Induced Sarcoma of the Head and Neck: Review of 15 Cases and 323 Cases in the Literature

PURPOSE

This retrospective study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of radiation-induced sarcoma of the head and neck (RISHN) that could help in the early diagnosis of this rare disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From August 1995 through October 2014, 15 cases of RISHN presenting at the authors' department and 323 cases in the literature were reviewed.

RESULTS

The incidence of RISHN was higher in men than in women (male-to-female ratio, 2.4:1). The mean latency was long (9.3 yr), and the tumor often occurred in middle age (50.0 yr old). Osteosarcoma was the predominant pathologic diagnosis (34.1%). The prognosis of RISHN was poor.

CONCLUSION

RISHN is a serious long-term complication of radiotherapy and its incidence has been increasing in recent years. Owing to the long latency period, its early diagnosis is difficult to make. RISHN should be considered when a patient who has undergone radiotherapy presents with a mass, pain, or trismus in the irradiated field.

Squash Cytology of a Dural-Based High-Grade Chondrosarcoma May Mimic That of Glioblastoma in the Central Nervous System

BACKGROUND

Intracranial chondrosarcoma is rare, and most cases occur in the skull base. Intradural chondrosarcoma is even rarer.

CASE

Here, we describe a case of dural chondrosarcoma with a radiation history for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and a radical prostatectomy for prostatic cancer 15 and 8 years earlier, respectively. A 67-year-old man presented with a 3-week memory disturbance and dysarthria. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance images of the brain revealed a dural-based mass in the left temporal area. Under the impression of a glioblastoma, a resection and an intraoperative squash cytology were done. A necrotic dirty background as well as bluish-to-pinkish myxoid stroma were characteristic; the nuclei of highly pleomorphic tumor cells were hyperchromatic to vesicular with an occasional ground-glass appearance. The cytoplasm was of an eosinophilic hyalinized condensed morphology with an occasional granular appearance. Histologically, the lobulated mass was composed of hypercellular lobules of well-differentiated chondrocytes intermixed with anaplastic pleomorphic cells and diagnosed as a conventional grade III chondrosarcoma. These cells were immunoreactive for D2-40, S-100 protein and vimentin. Brain invasion was also found.

CONCLUSION

Albeit rare, dural-based chondrosarcomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis for meningeal tumors, especially in the case of previous radiation therapy.

A case of radiation-induced osteosarcoma treated effectively by boron neutron capture therapy

We treated a 54-year-old Japanese female with a recurrent radiation-induced osteosarcoma arising from left occipital skull, by reactor-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Her tumor grew rapidly with subcutaneous and epidural extension. She eventually could not walk because of cerebellar ataxia. The tumor was inoperable and radioresistant. BNCT showed a marked initial therapeutic effect: the subcutaneous/epidural tumor reduced without radiation damage of the scalp except hair loss and the patient could walk again only 3 weeks after BNCT. BNCT seems to be a safe and very effective modality in the management of radiation-induced osteosarcomas that are not eligible for operation and other treatment modalities.

Osteosarcoma of the cranial vault and skull base in pediatric patients

Cranial osteosarcoma is very rare in children, rendering the development of optimal treatment algorithms challenging. The authors present 3 cases of pediatric cranial osteosarcoma: a primary calvarial tumor, a cranial metastasis, and a primary osteosarcoma of the cranial base. A review of the literature demonstrates significant variation in the management of cranial osteosarcomas and the outcome for patients with these tumors. This series and literature review is presented to improve the understanding of pediatric cranial osteosarcoma and to reinforce the importance of maximal resection in optimizing outcome.

Neurosurgical interventions for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a single institution experience

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a frequent head and neck cancer in southern China and Southeast Asia. The majority of NPC patients are managed by radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and head and neck surgeons. Actually, neurosurgical interventions are warranted under specific circumstances. In this article, we described our experience as neurosurgeons in the management of NPC patients.

Methods

Medical records of NPC patients who received neurosurgical procedure at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were reviewed.

Results

Twenty-seven patients were identified. Among 27 cases, neurosurgical procedures were performed in 18 (66.7%) with radiation-induced temporal necrosis, 2 (7.4%) with radiation-induced sarcoma, 4 (14.8%) with synchronous NPC with primary brain tumors, 2 (7.4%) with recurrent NPC involving skull base, and 1 (3.7%) with metachronous skull eosinophilic granuloma, respectively. The diagnosis is challenging in specific cases and initial misdiagnoses were found in 6 (22.2%) patients.

Conclusions

For NPC patients with intracranial or skull lesions, the initial diagnosis can be occasionally difficult because of the presence or a history of NPC and related treatment. Unawareness of these entities can result in misdiagnosis and subsequent improper treatment. Neurosurgical interventions are necessary for the diagnosis and treatment for these patients.

High-grade myxofibrosarcoma presenting at the spermatic cord after radiotherapy for prostate cancer

A 72-year-old man with a history of prostate cancer presented 7 years postradiotherapy with a painless, egg-sized, rapidly growing nodule on the left groin at the radiation site. He underwent left high orchiectomy under a diagnosis of groin lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer. The tumour had penetrated deep into the internal inguinal ring and was resected as proximally as possible to the internal ring with a positive surgical margin. Macroscopically, the left testis was intact in the resected specimen. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the tumour consisted of myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) with spindle cells; and was positive for vimentin, cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), MIB-1 and CD68, and negative for α-SMA, S-100, CD34 and myogenin. Thus, the tumour was diagnosed as high-grade MFS of the spermatic cord. Postoperative CT revealed a right renal tumour and adrenal tumour. Right radial nephrectomy was performed and the patient was doing well at 10-month follow-up.

Advanced therapeutic strategy for radiation-induced osteosarcoma in the skull base: a case report and review

A review of patients with skull base osteosarcoma secondary to radiation (radiation-induced osteosarcoma: RIOS) of the pituitary tumor shows the mean survival of approximately 7 months (2 weeks-16 months). This warning prognosis seems to stem from two factors, 1) the anatomical complexity of the skull base for total resection of the tumor, and 2) standard adjuvant therapies for the tumor yet to be established. Contrary to the general belief, the authors report an unusually long survival of a 75-year-old woman with a history of osteosarcoma that developed in the same sequence 20 years after pituitary tumor radiation. On her recent admission, she complained of frontal headaches and MRI studies showed a tumor in the sphenoid sinus. Endoscopic trans-nasal tumor removal allowed for histological diagnosis of an osteosarcoma. However, further rapid tumor growth necessitated a radical tumor resection followed by a combined chemotherapy with ifosfamide, cisplatin, and etoposide (ICE). Despite temporary suppression of the tumor growth, the chemotherapy was discontinued due to severe pancytopenia that occurred after three courses of treatment. Shortly after the discontinuation of ICE therapy, the tumor size increased again rapidly, requiring a novel radiation therapy, Cyber-knife treatment. Following this radiation, the tumor growth was arrested, and the patient remains healthy without neurological symptoms over 24 months. The outcome of Cyber-knife in this case suggests that this specific therapy must be considered for the unresectable skull base RIOS.

Radiation-associated head and neck sarcomas: spectrum of imaging findings

Sarcomas developing after radiation treatment for primary malignancies of the head and neck are often detected clinically when they are very aggressive. We reviewed the patient demographics and imaging findings in 21 patients with radiation-associated sarcomas (RAS) of the head and neck treated at our institution. Twenty-one RAS of the head and neck were retrospectively reviewed. The lesions were assessed for presence of a soft tissue mass, enhancement pattern, bone destruction, characteristics of tumor matrix, and FDG avidity. The RAS developed 4.5-25 years (mean 12.7 years) after irradiation. On both CT and MRI, all 21 lesions presented with a soft tissue mass. A variable imaging appearance was noted on CT, MR, and PET/CT, most, but not all, demonstrated aggressive features. At a median follow-up time of 19.1 months, 11 of the 21 patients had died from the sarcoma. RAS have variable imaging appearances. While most demonstrate aggressive features, some appear benign, which can lead to misdiagnosis. Head and neck radiologists, surgeons and oncologists who manage patients after radiation treatment should be aware of the wide range of clinical presentations and imaging features of RAS, because failure to diagnose can delay appropriate treatment.

Delayed radiation-induced vasculitic leukoencephalopathy

PURPOSE

Recently, single-fraction, high-dosed focused radiation therapy such as that administered by Gamma Knife radiosurgery has been used increasingly for the treatment of metastatic brain cancer. Radiation therapy to the brain can cause delayed leukoencephalopathy, which carries its own significant morbidity and mortality. While radiosurgery-induced leukoencephalopathy is known to be clinically different from that following fractionated radiation, pathological differences are not well characterized. In this study, we aimed to integrate novel radiographic and histopathologic observations to gain a conceptual understanding of radiosurgery-induced leukoencephalopathy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We examined resected tissues of 10 patients treated at Yale New Haven Hospital between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, for brain metastases that had been previously treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery, who subsequently required surgical management of a symptomatic regrowing lesion. None of the patients showed pathological evidence of tumor recurrence. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging data for each of the 10 patients were then studied retrospectively.

RESULTS

We provide evidence to show that radiosurgery-induced leukoencephalopathy may present as an advancing process that extends beyond the original high-dose radiation field. Neuropathologic examination of the resected tissue revealed traditionally known leukoencephalopathic changes including demyelination, coagulation necrosis, and vascular sclerosis. Unexpectedly, small and medium-sized vessels revealed transmural T-cell infiltration indicative of active vasculitis.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose that the presence of a vasculitic component in association with radiation-induced leukoencephalopathy may facilitate the progressive nature of the condition. It may also explain the resemblance of delayed leukoencephalopathy with recurring tumor on virtually all imaging modalities used for posttreatment follow-up.