Chondrosarcoma of bone: lessons from 46 operated cases in a single institution

Risk factors for distant metastasis of Chondrosarcoma in the middle-aged and elderly people

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common primary bone malignancy with the highest incidence in middle-aged and elderly people, where distant metastasis (DM) still leads to poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to construct a nomogram for studying the diagnosis of DM in middle-aged and elderly patients with chondrosarcoma. Data on chondrosarcoma patients aged ≥ 40 years diagnosed from 2004 to 2015 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The data were divided into a training set and an internal validation set according to a 7:3 ratio, and the training set data were screened for independent risk factors for DM in chondrosarcoma patients using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The screened independent risk factors were then used to build a nomogram. In addition, data from 144 patients with chondrosarcoma aged ≥ 40 years diagnosed in a tertiary hospital in China from 2012 to 2021 were collected as the external validation set. The results were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis in the training set, internal validation set, and external validation set. A total of 1462 middle-aged and elderly patients with chondrosarcoma were included, and 92 (6.29%) had DM at the time of diagnosis. Independent risk factors for DM in middle-aged and elderly patients with chondrosarcoma included being married (OR: 2.119, 95% CI: 1.094-4.105), histological type of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (OR: 1.290, 95% CI: 1.110-1.499), high-grade tumor (OR: 1.511, 95% CI: 1.079-2.115), T3 stage (OR: 4.184, 95% CI: 1.977- 8.858), and N1 staging (OR: 5.666, 95% CI: 1.964-16.342). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.857, 0.820, and 0.859 in the training set, internal validation set, and external validation set, respectively. The results of the calibration curve and decision curve analysis also confirmed that the established nomogram could accurately predict DM in middle-aged and elderly patients with chondrosarcoma. Married, histological type of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, high-grade tumor, T3 stage, and N1 stage are independent risk factors for DM in middle-aged and elderly chondrosarcoma patients, and clinicians should see more attention.

Risk factors for distant metastasis of chondrosarcoma: A population-based study

Chondrosarcoma is the second largest bone malignancy after osteosarcoma and mainly affects middle-aged adults, where patients with distant metastasis (DM) often have a poor prognosis. Although nomograms have been widely used to predict distant tumor metastases, there is a lack of large-scale data studies for the diagnostic evaluation of DM in chondrosarcoma. Data on patients diagnosed with chondrosarcoma from 2004 to 2015 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Independent risk factors for having DM from chondrosarcoma were screened using univariate and multivariate logistics regression analysis. A nomogram was created to predict the probability of DM from the screened independent risk factors. The nomogram was then validated using receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration curves. A total of 1870 chondrosarcoma patients were included in the study after data screening, of which 157 patients (8.40%) had DM at the time of diagnosis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis screened four independent risk factors, including grade, tumor number, T stage, and N stage. receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration curves showed good accuracy of the nomogram in both training and validation sets. The current study screened for independent risk factors for DM from chondrosarcoma, which will help clinicians evaluate patients.

Three-Dimensional CT and 3D MRI of Hip- Important Aids to Hip Preservation Surgery

Common hip internal derangements include femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) dysplasia, and avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head. These are initially screened by radiographs. For preoperative planning of hip preservation, 3-dimensional (3D) CT is commonly performed to assess bony anatomy and its alterations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to evaluate labrum, hyaline cartilage, tendons, synovium, and loose bodies, and provides vital information for surgical decision-making. However, conventional 2D MRI techniques are limited by lack of isotropic multiplanar reconstructions and partial volume artifacts. With advancements in hardware and software, novel isotropic 3D MR Proton Density images are acquired with acceptable acquisition times leading to improved visualization of soft tissue and osseous structures for various hip conditions. Three-Dimensional MRI allows multiplanar non-gap reconstructions along the structures of interest. It results in detection of small, otherwise inconspicuous labral tears without the need for MR arthrogram, which can be subsequently measured. In addition, radial reconstructions of the femoral head can be performed from original 3D volume MR imaging and CT imaging without the need for individual different plane acquisitions. Three-Dimensional MRI thus impacts surgical decision-making for the important common hip derangement conditions. For example, femoral head hyaline cartilage loss may make hip preservation difficult or impossible. In this review, we discuss the advantages and technical details of 3D CT and MRI and their significant role in aiding hip preservation surgery for common hip conditions. The conditions discussed in this article include FAI, DDH, AVN, synovial disorders, cartilaginous tumors, and hip fractures.

Curettage or Resection? A Review on the Surgical Treatment of Low-Grade Chondrosarcomas

Introduction Low-grade chondrosarcomas (LG-CS), including atypical cartilaginous tumors (ACT), are locally aggressive lesions. The focus of the discussion sits on the differential diagnosis between benign lesions or aggressive cartilaginous tumors and on their treatment: intralesional curettage or wide resection. This study presents the results obtained in the surgical treatment of 21 cases of LG-CS. Methods This retrospective study includes 21 consecutive patients from a single center with LG-CS who underwent surgery from 2013 to 2021. Fourteen were located in the appendicular skeleton, and seven in the axial (shoulder blade, spine, or pelvis). Mortality rate, recurrence, metastatic disease, overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and metastatic disease-free survival were analyzed for each type of procedure and each disease location. Operative complications and residual tumors were also recorded in cases where resection was performed. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Thirteen patients underwent intralesional curettage (11 appendicular and 2 axial lesions), and eight underwent wide resection (5 axial and 3 appendicular). There were six recurrences during the follow-up, 43% of the axial lesions recurred, rising to 100% in axial curetted ones. Appendicular LG-CS recurred in 21% of cases, and only 18% of curetted appendicular lesions were not eradicated. The overall survival for the entire follow-up is 90.5%, and the 5-year survival rate is 83% (12 patients have adequate follow-up). Recurrence-free and metastasis-free survival were higher in resection cases, with 75% and 87.5%, vs. curettage 69.2% and 76.9%, respectively. In 9% of cases, the preoperative biopsy was inconsistent with the pathology of the surgical specimen. Discussion LG-CS and ACT are described as having high survival and low potential for metastatic disease. For this reason, these lesions are subject to a change in treatment philosophy to reflect these characteristics. Intra-lesional curettage is advocated as a less invasive technique for eradicating atypical cartilage tumors and has fewer and less severe complications, which was in accordance with our findings. Diagnosis, however, is challenging; misgrading is frequent and should be considered. Because of this risk of under-treating higher-grade lesions, some authors still defend wide-resection as the treatment of choice. We observed a trend towards longer survival, less recurrence, and metastatic disease with wide resection. Metastatic disease was higher than expected, present in 19% of cases, and always associated with local recurrence. Conclusion LG-CS is still a diagnostic and treatment challenge; patient selection is fundamental. Overall survival is high, independent of treatment choice or lesion location. We found a higher rate of metastatic disease than described in the literature; this, coupled with a misgrading rate of 9%, reflects the difficulty of preoperative diagnosis and the risk of treating high-grade chondrosarcomas as a low-grade lesion. More studies should be carried out with larger samples to obtain statistically robust results.

Chondrosarcoma of the Proximal Humerus: Does the Margin Affect Survival?

Chondrosarcoma (CS) is the second most common primary malignant bone tumour and, in the absence of reliable chemotherapy and radiotherapy, is effectively a surgical disease. Overall disease specific survival (DSS) is affected by tumour grade, whilst resection margin contributes to local recurrence free survival (LRFS). The aim of this study was to investigate factors that affect the local and systemic prognoses for conventional central CSs arising from the proximal humerus. A multi-centre, retrospective study from three international collaborative sarcoma centres identified 110 patients between 1995 and 2020 undergoing treatment for a conventional central CS of the proximal humerus; 58 patients (53%) had a grade 1 tumour, 36 (33%) had a grade 2 tumour, and 16 patients (13%) had a grade 3 CS. The mean age of patients was 50 years (range 10-85). The incidence of local recurrence (LR) was 9/110 (8.2%), and the disease specific mortality was 6/110 (5.5%). The grade was a statistically significant factor for LRFS (p < 0.001). None of the grade 1 tumours developed LR. The DSS was affected by the grade (p < 0.001) but not by the LR (p = 0.4). Only one patient with a grade 2 tumour died from the disease. The proximal humeral grade 1 CS behaved as a benign tumour, having no cases of LR nor death due to disease. Grade 2 CSs of the proximal humerus behaved in a more indolent way when compared with comparable grade tumours elsewhere in the appendicular skeleton, being locally aggressive with a higher LR rate than grade 1 CSs but still having very low mortality and a high rate of DSS. The LR in grade 2 CSs did not affect the DSS; therefore, surgical management in proximal humeral grade 2 CSs should have a greater emphasis on preserving function whilst maintaining an adequate margin for resection. The proximal humeral grade 3 CS was, as elsewhere in the skeleton, an aggressive, high-grade tumour. Therefore, surgical management should include en bloc resection with clear margins to avoid LR.

Can low-grade chondrosarcoma in flat bones be treated with intralesional curettage and cryotherapy?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Chondrosarcomas in flat bones are thought to be more aggressive in their behavior, and little is known about intralesional treatment outcomes of low-grade chondrosarcoma in these locations. We tried to find the differences between patients who had low-grade chondrosarcoma in their flat bones versus those with long bone involvement with regard to (1) disease outcome, (2) functional outcome, and (3) treatment complications.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 44 patients with primary low-grade chondrosarcoma who were treated with intralesional curettage and cryotherapy. The patients were divided by location of tumor, group I (flat bones, seven patients) and group II (long bones, 37 patients).

RESULTS

The local recurrence rate was higher in group I with 5 years disease-free survival of 80.0% in group I and 97.0% in group II (p = 0.001). All recurrent cases were noted to have initially presented with soft tissue extension (Enneking stage IB). The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score at the last follow-up was 21.7 in group I and 27.9 in group II (p = 0.045).

CONCLUSIONS

Intralesional curettage and cryotherapy for low-grade chondrosarcoma appear to be a safe and reasonable surgical option for patients with lesions confined to bone (Enneking stage IA).

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, retrospective cohort study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Patient, Disease, and Treatment-Related Factors Affecting Progression-Free and Disease-Specific Survival in Recurrent Chondrosarcomas of the Skull Base

BACKGROUND

Recurrent skull base chondrosarcomas (CSA) are difficult to treat, and limited data are available to help guide subsequent therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To further characterize the natural history of CSA and identify treatment modalities that were most effective in prolonging progression-free (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS).

METHODS

We conducted a single-institution retrospective review of patients with recurrent skull base CSA from 1993 to 2021. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses for PFS and DSS were completed. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify patient-related, treatment-related, and disease-related factors that predicted PFS and DSS.

RESULTS

A total of 28 patients and 84 episodes of recurrence were included. One-year PFS was 70.6%, 5-year PFS was 28.9%, and 10-year DSS was 78.5%. The median time to first progression was 23.9 months (range, 2.8-282 months). In univariable Cox proportional hazards regression, male sex, higher grade histology, fourth or greater progression episode status, distal pattern of recurrence, and treatment of recurrence without surgery or with chemotherapy alone predicted worse PFS. Multivariable regression predicted shortened DSS in male patients (hazard ratio [HR] 0.16; P = .021) and higher-grade tumors (HR 0.22; P = .039). Treatment of recurrence with surgery was associated with, but did not significantly predict, improved DSS (HR 1.78; P = .11).

CONCLUSION

Several patient and disease-specific factors were associated with shorter PFS and DSS in recurrent skull base chondrosarcoma. For recurrences amenable to resection, surgery is recommended for treatment of recurrent CSA. Local recurrence management without surgery results in shorter PFS and DSS.

Diagnostic Value of CT- and MRI-Based Texture Analysis and Imaging Findings for Grading Cartilaginous Tumors in Long Bones

Objective

To confirm the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT)-based texture analysis (CTTA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based texture analysis for grading cartilaginous tumors in long bones and to compare these findings to radiological features.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-nine patients with enchondromas, 20 with low-grade chondrosarcomas and 16 with high-grade chondrosarcomas were included retrospectively. Clinical and radiological information and 9 histogram features extracted from CT, T1WI, and T2WI were evaluated. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictive factors for grading cartilaginous tumors and to establish diagnostic models. Another 26 patients were included to validate each model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated, and accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity and positive/negative predictive values (PPV/NPV) were calculated.

Results

On imaging, endosteal scalloping, cortical destruction and calcification shape were predictive for grading cartilaginous tumors. For texture analysis, variance, mean, perc.01%, perc.10%, perc.99% and kurtosis were extracted after multivariate analysis. To differentiate benign cartilaginous tumors from low-grade chondrosarcomas, the imaging features model reached the highest accuracy rate (83.7%) and AUC (0.841), with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 93.1%. The CTTA feature model best distinguished low-grade and high-grade chondrosarcomas, with accuracies of 71.9%, and 80% in the training and validation groups, respectively; T1-TA and T2-TA could not distinguish them well. We found that the imaging feature model best differentiated benign and malignant cartilaginous tumors, with an accuracy rate of 89.2%, followed by the T1-TA feature model (80.4%).

Conclusions

The imaging feature model and CTTA- or MRI-based texture analysis have the potential to differentiate cartilaginous tumors in long bones by grade. MRI-based texture analysis failed to grade chondrosarcomas.

Proximal Femur Chondrosarcoma Misdiagnosed as Hip Arthritis: A Case Report

CASE

A 60-year-old man presented with left hip pain, and a radiograph showed reduced joint space. During the surgical procedure for a total hip replacement, a proximal femur mass was identified and biopsy was subsequently interpreted as grade 2 chondrosarcoma. A wide resection was needed, but he developed local recurrence after 2 years and was treated with an external hemipelvectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Chondrosarcoma does not always present with a classical clinical picture or imaging, and it can be misdiagnosed. Practitioners should be highly suspicious of malignant disease as a cause for hip pain even if there is no direct indication of a neoplasm such as chondrosarcoma.

Treatment method and prognostic factors of chondrosarcoma: based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database

BACKGROUND

Chondrosarcoma is a malignant tumor originating from cartilage tissue. It is the second most malignant bone tumor, accounting for about 10% to 15% of all primary bone tumors. So far, there have been no reports of large-scale clinical statistics on the relationship between non-surgical treatment and prognosis in patients with chondrosarcoma.

METHODS

Through the search of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, chondrosarcoma patients registered between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2016 were selected as research goals. Univariate analysis of overall survival (OS) and chondrosarcoma-specific survival (CSSS) by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test. Mapping Kaplan-Meier curves for prognostic factors that are significant for OS and CSSS in patients with chondrosarcoma. After univariate analysis, the prognostic factors that have a significant effect on the prognosis were included in the multivariate Cox regression analysis, and the independent factors that affected the prognosis were screened.

RESULTS

A total of 1,128 patients with chondrosarcoma were included in the study. Univariate analysis showed that prognostic factors such as age, gender, primary site, histological type, grade, tumor size, metastasis, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and treatment method had significant effects on all-cause mortality (ACM) and chondrosarcoma-specific mortality (CSSM). These factors were included in the multivariate Cox regression analysis. The results showed age, primary site, histological type, grade, tumor size, metastasis, and treatment method were independent factors affecting ACM and CSSM.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that although non-surgical treatment of chondrosarcoma has made great progress, at present, it is still not considered that non-surgical treatment can significantly improve the prognosis. There are many factors affecting the prognosis of chondrosarcoma, including age, primary site, histological type, grade, tumor size, distant metastasis and treatment method. In the future, more samples and more detailed data will be needed to study the treatment of chondrosarcoma and to analyze the important factors affecting prognosis through big data analysis.

The giant aggressive chondroma: A rare entity, a difficult approach

Introduction

enchondromas rarely exceed 3-6 cm in long bones. Although the risk of developing secondary chondrosarcoma has been reported up to 4% in solitary lesions, it is not known if size represents a risk factor for transformation.

Objective

to describe three exceptional cases of enchondromas of the entire femur whereof one dedifferentiated in chondrosarcoma.

Results

two patients present stable disease at 5 and 6 years of follow-up; the third, already diagnosed with a dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, died 14 months after the index surgery for systemic disease.

Conclusion

based on these observations, our hypothesis is that lesion size is an important risk factor for malignant transformation.

Survival and prognostic factors in conventional G1 chondrosarcoma

Background

Chondrosarcoma is the second most frequent malignant bone tumor. Grade I chondrosarcoma (syn.: atypical cartilaginous tumor) is classified as an intermediately and locally aggressive neoplasm and typically is treated less aggressively (i.e., by intralesional curettage). Does the data regarding local recurrence (LR) and metastatic disease justify this?

Methods

From 1982 to 2014, 37 consecutive patients with G1 chondrosarcoma had been resected or curetted. The margin was defined as R0 (wide resection) or R1 (marginal resection). All patients were followed for evidence of local recurrence or metastatic disease. Overall and recurrence-free survival were calculated, and various potentially prognostic factors were evaluated.

Results

In 23 patients (62%), the tumor was widely (R0) resected, whereas in 14 patients, (38%) the resection was marginal (R1). Overall survival was 97% after 5 years, 92% after 10 years, and 67% after 20 years. Five-year local recurrence-free survival was 96%. Ten-year local recurrence-free survival was 83%. Local recurrence-free survival showed a significant correlation to margin status but no correlation to location or age. None of the patients with local recurrence died during the follow-up. One patient had metastatic disease at initial presentation, and a further five patients developed metastatic disease during follow-up. Metastatic disease proofed to be a highly significant factor for survival but was not correlated to local recurrence.

Conclusions

There was no significant correlation between the outcome and the primary tumor location. Marginal resection was a risk factor for LR, but there was no significant difference in the overall survival in patients with or without LR. Metastatic disease (16%) was more common than expected from the literature and a significant predictor for poor overall survival.

Intralesional treatment versus wide resection for central low-grade chondrosarcoma of the long bones

BACKGROUND

Grade I or low-grade chondrosarcoma (LGCS) is a primary bone tumour with low malignant potential. Historically, it was treated by wide resection, since accurate pre-operative exclusion of more aggressive cancers can be challenging and under-treatment of a more aggressive cancer could negatively influence oncological outcomes. Intralesional surgery for LGCS has been advocated more often in the literature over the past few years. The potential advantages of less aggressive treatment are better functional outcome and lower complication rates although these need to be weighed against the potential for compromising survival outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of intralesional treatment by curettage compared to wide resection for central low-grade chondrosarcoma (LGCS) of the long bones.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2018, Issue 4), MEDLINE and Embase up to April 2018. We extended the search to include trials registries, reference lists of relevant articles and review articles. We also searched 'related articles' of included studies suggested by PubMed.

SELECTION CRITERIA

In the absence of prospective randomised controlled trials (RCTs), we included retrospective comparative studies and case series that evaluated outcome of treatment of central LGCS of the long bones. The primary outcome was recurrence-free survival after a minimal follow-up of 24 months. Secondary outcomes were upgrading of tumour; functional outcome, as assessed by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score; and occurrence of complications.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures recognised by Cochrane. We conducted a systematic literature search using several databases and contacted corresponding authors, appraised the evidence using the ROBINS-I risk of bias tool and GRADE, and performed a meta-analysis. If data extraction was not possible, we included studies in a narrative summary.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 18 studies, although we were only able to extract participant data from 14 studies that included a total of 511 participants; 419 participants were managed by intralesional treatment and 92 underwent a wide resection. We were not able to extract participant data from four studies, including 270 participants, and so we included them as a narrative summary only. The evidence was at high risk of performance, detection and reporting bias.Meta-analysis of data from 238 participants across seven studies demonstrated little or no difference in recurrence-free survival after intralesional treatment versus wide resection for central LGCS in the long bones (risk ratio (RR) 0.98; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92 to 1.04; very low-certainty evidence). MSTS scores were probably better after intralesional surgery (mean score 93%) versus resection (mean score 78%) with a mean difference of 12.69 (95% CI 2.82 to 22.55; P value < 0.001; 3 studies; 72 participants; low-certainty evidence). Major complications across six studies (203 participants) were lower in cases treated by intralesional treatment (5/125 cases) compared to those treated by wide resection (18/78 cases), with RR 0.23 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.55; low-certainty evidence). In four people (0.5% of total participants) a high-grade (grade 2 or dedifferentiated) tumour was found after a local recurrence. Two participants were treated with second surgery with no evidence of disease at their final follow-up and two participants (0.26% of total participants) died due to disease. Kaplan-Meier analysis of data from 115 individual participants across four studies demonstrated 96% recurrence-free survival after a maximum follow-up of 300 months after resection versus 94% recurrence-free survival after a maximum follow-up of 251 months after intralesional treatment (P value = 0.58; very low-certainty evidence). Local recurrence or metastases were not reported after 41 months in either treatment group.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Only evidence of low- and very low-certainty was available for this review according to the GRADE system. Included studies were all retrospective in nature and at high risk of selection and attrition bias. Therefore, we could not determine whether wide resection is superior to intralesional treatment in terms of event-free survival and recurrence rates. However, functional outcome and complication rates are probably better after intralesional surgery compared to wide resection, although this is low-certainty evidence, considering the large effect size. Nevertheless, recurrence-free survival was excellent in both groups and a prospective RCT comparing intralesional treatment versus wide resection may be challenging for both practical and ethical reasons. Future research could instead focus on less invasive treatment strategies for these tumours by identifying predictors that help to stratify participants for surgical intervention or close observation.

Intralesional vs. extralesional procedures for low-grade central chondrosarcoma: a systematic review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Chondroid lesions are very common bone tumors. In most cases, they are benign enchondromas (EC) and, in a minor percentage, chondrosarcomas (CSs), the malignant counterpart. In the latter cases, surgery is the mainstay treatment, because they are chemo- and radio-resistant unless dedifferentiation occurs. If resection is recognized as the gold standard for intermediate-, high-grade tumors, and for low-grade chondrosarcoma (LG-CS) located in the spine and pelvis to reduce the risk of local recurrence, there is still no consensus in literature on the treatment of central low-grade chondrosarcoma (cLG-CS) located in the limbs. Our aim is to perform a review of literature on evidence supporting this approach or not.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An electronic research of the medical archives was carried out in March 2017 seeking papers evaluating the results of curettage and resection in cLG-CS.

RESULTS

We selected 13 studies corresponding to our criteria. Unfortunately, they were descriptive, retrospective, non-randomized studies. We identified a population of 471 patients for a total of 473 low-grade chondrosarcomas. Two hundred and ninety-nine lesions were treated with curettage and 174 with wide surgery. The two groups were not homogeneous for diagnosis, size and staging, so no comparison between resection and curettage was possible. The global weighted average percentage of local recurrence was 6.7% (20 cases) and 10.9% (19 cases) after curettage and resection, respectively. No cases of metastasis were reported in the group treated with intralesional surgery, compared to five cases reported in the group treated with resection. Indications for surgery were given in most cases based on symptoms and imaging.

CONCLUSIONS

The absence of a preoperative histological diagnosis and the lack of a scientific method to conduct the studies do not sufficiently support curettage for low-grade chondrosarcomas. In the absence of this, resection must be considered a general rule for every malignancy. In our opinion, based on the low biological growth rate of low-grade chondrosarcoma, every chondromatous lesion can be followed-up. Biopsies must be performed based on clinical and radiological suspicions such as pain, scalloping or increase in size, rather than on performing a PET scan to evidence more informative high metabolic areas.

Treatment strategies for central low-grade chondrosarcoma of long bones: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis

The need for wide local excision (WLE) versus intralesional (IL) treatment of low-grade chondrosarcomas (CS) of the appendicular skeleton remains controversial. We sought to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare different conventional types of surgical treatments for grade I CS in terms of: (1) rate of local recurrence (LR) and metastases, (2) functional outcome as measured by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score, (3) complication rate. Eighteen studies enrolling 695 patients met our criteria. Studies reported on WLE versus IL treatment (n = 7), and IL treatment with or without different adjuvants (N = 11). The LR rate was not significantly different between WLE and IL treatment (OR 2.31; 95% CI, 0.85-6.2; P = 0.1). On the contrary, complication rates were significantly lower in favor of IL treatment (OR 2.27; 95% CI, 0.07-0.72; P = 0.012). The mean reported MSTS score ranged from 21.8 to 28.2 for WLE and from 26.5 to 29.7 for IL treatment, with a significant difference in favor of IL treatment. IL treatment as an alternative to WLE does not greatly increase the risk of LR or metastasis and has lower complication rates with better functional scores. In light of the retrospective nature of the studies available, our findings should be interpreted with caution.

Is intralesional resection suitable for central grade 1 chondrosarcoma: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The surgical choice for grade 1 chondrosarcoma has been debated for decades. Intralesional resection can minimize the damage caused by surgery and offer better functional outcome. However, controversy remains about whether it will result in higher rates of local recurrence and metastasis, fewer complications, and better functional outcome compared with resection with wide margin. This systematic review and updated meta-analysis therefore compared intralesional resection and resection with wide margin in terms of local recurrence, metastasis, complications, and functional outcome.

METHODS

Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched in December 2016 to identify studies comparing intralesional resection and resection with wide margin for central grade 1 chondrosarcoma. Data of interest were extracted and analyzed using Review Manager 5.3.

RESULTS

Ten studies involving 394 patients were included, with 214 patients who had intralesional resection and 180 patients who had resection with wide margin for grade 1 chondrosarcoma. Intralesional resection was associated with lower complication rates (P < 0.0001) and better Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score (MSTS). There were no significant differences in terms of overall local recurrence (P = 0.27), local recurrence based on adjuvant therapies (P = 0.22), local recurrence in studies that included lesions of the hand, foot, pelvis, and axial skeleton (P = 0.55), and metastasis (P = 0.74) between groups.

CONCLUSION

Intralesional resection provides lower complications and better functional outcome with no significant increase in the risk of recurrence and metastasis. We think it is a suitable treatment for central grade 1 chondrosarcoma.

The Identification of Prognostic Factors and Survival Statistics of Conventional Central Chondrosarcoma

Introduction. Chondrosarcomas are malignant bone tumors that are characterized by the production of chondroid tissue. Since radiation therapy and chemotherapy have limited effect on chondrosarcoma, treatment of most patients depends on surgical resection. We conducted this study to identify independent predictive factors and survival characteristics for conventional central chondrosarcoma and dedifferentiated central chondrosarcoma. Methods. A systematic literature review was performed in September 2014 using the Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Subsequent to a beforehand-composed selection procedure we included 13 studies, comprising a total of 1114 patients. Results. The prognosis of central chondrosarcoma is generally good for the histologically low-grade tumors. Prognosis for the high-grade chondrosarcoma and the dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is poor with lower survival rates. Poor prognostic factors in conventional chondrosarcoma for overall survival are high-grade tumors and axial/pelvic tumor location. In dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma the percentage of dedifferentiated component has significant influence on disease-free survival. Conclusion. Despite the fact that there are multiple prognostic factors identified, as shown in this study, there is a need for prospective and comparative studies. The resulting knowledge about prognostic factors and survival can give direction in the development of better therapies. This could eventually lead to an evidence-based foundation for treating chondrosarcoma patients.

Femur chondrosarcoma misdiagnosed as acute knee arthritis and osteomyelitis--further developing a hitherto unreported complication of tumor embolic ischemic ileal perforation after arthroscopic lavage

The differentiation between osteomyelitis and bone tumor may be difficult due to their overlapping clinical and radiological features. A 25-year-old lady presented with left knee pain and joint effusion associated with redness and hotness. A sub-optimally taken plain radiograph showed mixed osteolytic and osteoblastic lesion in the left lower femur with surrounding soft tissue swelling. Since the clinical diagnosis was acute osteomyelitis and arthritis, arthroscopic lavage was performed as a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. The removed loose bodies and fibrinous tissue showed pathological features suspicious of chondrosarcoma. Subsequent MRI revealed an infiltrative tumor eroding through the cortex and joint cartilage. En bloc excision of the left lower femur, upper tibia including the knee joint and patella was performed, and the final diagnosis was grade 2 chondrosarcoma. The patient developed bilateral pulmonary metastasis 33 months after operation. Five months later, she suffered from a hitherto undescribed complication of ischemic perforation of the terminal ileum secondary to tumor embolic arterial obstruction with no macroscopic intestinal or peritoneal tumor deposit. The patient developed multiple brain metastases and died 43 months after initial presentation. Our case illustrates that malignant bone tumor as a differential diagnosis of acute osteomyelitis and arthritis merits recognition and exclusion before arthroscopic lavage, which may enhance tumor dissemination and in our patient results in embolic ischemic ileal perforation.

Multivariate analysis of the prognosis of 37 chondrosarcoma patients

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimedto screen for possible factors which affect prognosis of chondrosarcoma.

METHODS

Thirty seven cases were selected and analyzed statistically. The patients received surgical treatment at our hospital between December 2005 and March 2008. All of them had complete follow-up data. The survival rates were calculated by univariate analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method and tested by Log-rank. χ2 or Fisher exact tests were carried out for the numeration data. The significant indexes after univariate analysis were then analyzed by multivariate analysis using COX regression model. Based on the literature, factors of gender, age, disease course, tumor location, Enneking grades, surgical approaches, distant metastasis and local recurrence were examined.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in Enneking grades, surgical approaches and distant metastasis related to the patients' 3-year survival rate after surgery (P<0.001). No significant difference was not found in gender, age, disease course, tumor location or local recurrence (P>0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that Enneking grade (P=0.007) and surgical approaches (P=0.010) were independent factors affecting the prognosis of chondrosarcoma, but distant metastasis was not (P=0.942).

CONCLUSION

Enneking grades, surgical approaches and distant metastasis are risk factors for prognosis of chondrosarcoma, among which the former two are independent factors.

Preoperative radiographic and histopathologic evaluation of central chondrosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Distinguishing grade 1 chondrosarcoma from grade 2 chondrosarcoma is critical both for planning the surgical procedure and for predicting the outcome. We aimed to review the preoperative radiographic and histologic findings, and to evaluate the reliability of preoperative grading.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 17 patients diagnosed with central chondrosarcoma at our institution between 1996 and 2011. In these cases, we compared the preoperative and postoperative histologic grades, and evaluated the reliability of the preoperative histologic grading. We also assessed the preoperative radiographic findings obtained using plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

RESULTS

Preoperative histologic grade was 1 in 12 patients, 2 in 4 patients, and 3 in 1 patient. However, 6 of the 12 cases classified as grade 1 before surgery were re-classified as grade 2 postoperatively. In the radiographic evaluation, grade 1 was suspected by the presence of a ring-and-arc pattern of calcification on plain radiography and CT and entrapped fat and ring-and-arc enhancement on MRI. Grades 2 and 3 were suspected by the absence of calcification and the presence of cortical penetration and endosteal scalloping on plain radiography and CT, as well as soft-tissue mass formation on MRI.

CONCLUSION

Although the combination of radiographic interpretation and histologic findings may improve the accuracy of preoperative grading in chondrosarcoma, the establishment of a standard evaluation system with the histologic and radiographic findings and/or the development of new biologic markers are necessary for preoperative discrimination of low-grade chondrosarcoma from high-grade chondrosarcoma.

Clinical outcome of central conventional chondrosarcoma

INTRODUCTION

Aim of this study was to analyze (1) survival, local recurrence (LR), and metastasis rates between the three histological tumor grades; (2) whether type of treatment and tumor site influenced prognosis for each histologic grade.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 296 patients with central conventional chondrosarcomas (CS) (87 grade 1, 162 grade 2, and 47 grade 3). The femur was the most common site (91 cases), followed by the pelvis (82) and other less frequent sites. Type of surgery was related with histologic grade. Margins were wide in 222 cases, marginal in 23, and intralesional in 51 cases.

RESULTS

At a mean of 7 years, 201 patients remained continuously NED, 33 were NED after treatment of relapse, 15 were AWD, 35 were died of disease, and 12 of other causes. Survival was 92% at 5 years and 84% at 10 years, significantly influenced by histological grading. In grade 3 CS, two factors influenced survival: type of surgery (resection vs. amputation, P = 0.051) and site (P = 0.039). The two significant factors lost their significance at multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Central conventional CS with low/intermediate grade has a good prognosis, while high-grade tumors have poor outcome. Tumor relapses are strictly related with histologic grade.

[Primary malignant bone tumors]

Among human neoplasms, primary malignant bone tumors are fairly rare. They present an incidence rate of roughly 10 cases per 1 million inhabitants per year. During childhood (<15 years), the percentage of malignant bone tumors amounts to 6% of all infantile malignancies. Only leukemia and lymphoma show a higher incidence in adolescence. Of all primary malignant bone tumors, 60% affect patients younger than 45 years and the peak incidence of all bone tumors occurs between 15 and 19 years. The most common primary malignant bone tumors are osteosarcoma (35%), chondrosarcoma (25%), and Ewing's sarcoma (16%). Less frequently (≤ 5%) occurring tumors are chordoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone, and fibrosarcoma of bone. Vascular primary malignant tumors of bone and adamantinoma are very rare. Staging of the lesion is essential for systemic therapeutic decision-making and includes complete imaging and histo-pathological confirmation of the suspected entity. In most cases, this is established by open- or image-guided biopsy. Based on this information, an interdisciplinary tumor board will determine the individual therapeutic approach. Endoprosthetic or biological reconstruction following wide tumor resection is the most common surgical therapy for primary malignant bone tumors. There is vital importance in a thorough postoperative follow-up and continous after-care by a competent tumor center which is permanentely in charge of therapy.

Chondrosarcomas revisited

Chondrosarcomas are malignant bone tumors with pure hyaline cartilage differentiation; myxoid changes, calcification, or ossification may be present. Several subtypes of chondrosarcomas exist. Behavior patterns vary, ranging from slow-growing nonmetastasizing lesions to aggressive metastasizing sarcomas. Symptoms are usually mild, with duration ranging from several months to years, and usually consist of persistent, dull, aching pain or palpable masses. Radiographic findings include bone expansion with cortical thickening, radiolucent areas with variably distributed punctate or ring-like matrix calcifications, cortical erosion or destruction, endosteal scalloping, and scant or absent periosteal reaction; extension into the soft tissue may be present. Histological differential diagnosis from benign cartilaginous lesions can be achieved by increased cellularity, enlarged plump nuclei, binucleated cells, hyperchromatic nuclear pleomorphism, and permeation of cortical or medullary bone. Atypia is usually mild to moderate; necrosis and mitoses can be seen, particularly in high-grade lesions. Adequate surgery is the mainstay of treatment. High-grade and pelvic chondrosarcomas are best managed with wide resection. Because of the low metastatic potential and low local recurrence rate noted with intralesional surgery, low-grade chondrosarcomas can be treated with curettage (with or without treatment of the defect cavity) with a local adjuvant, such as phenol or cryotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy may be considered for mesenchymal and dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas. Radiation therapy can be considered after incomplete resection or if resection is not feasible or would cause unacceptable morbidity.

The treatment of locally recurrent chondrosarcoma

The aim of this study was to define the treatment criteria for patients with recurrent chondrosarcoma. We reviewed the data of 77 patients to examine the influence of factors such as the intention of treatment (curative/palliative), extent of surgery, resection margins, status of disease at the time of local recurrence and the grade of the tumour. A total of 70 patients underwent surgery for recurrent chondrosarcoma. In seven patients surgery was not a viable option. Metastatic disease occurred in 41 patients, appearing synchronously with the local recurrence in 56% of cases. For patients without metastasis at the time of local recurrence, the overall survival at a mean follow-up after recurrence of 67 months (0 to 289) was 74% (5 of 27) compared with 19% (13 of 50) for patients with metastasis at or before the development of the recurrence. Neither the type/extent of surgery, site of tumour, nor the resection margins for the recurrent tumour significantly influenced the overall survival.

With limited survival for patients with metastatic disease at the time of local recurrence (0% for patients with grade III and de-differentiated chondrosarcoma), palliative treatment, including local radiation therapy and debulking procedures, should be discussed with the patients to avoid long hospitalisation and functional deficits. For patients without metastasis at the time of local recurrence, the overall survival of 74% justifies an aggressive approach including wide resection margins and extensive reconstruction.