[Analysis of prognostic factors in osteosarcoma adult patients, a single institution experience]

BACKGROUND

The objective of this report was to estimate long-term outcome and prognostic factors in adult patients with high-grade osteosarcoma. The intended therapeutic strategy included preoperative and/or postoperative chemotherapy as well as surgery of all operable lesions.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the clinical data of 36 newly diagnosed adult patients (aged 19-82, average 37.5, median 28.5 years) with high-grade osteosarcoma of the trunk or limbs evaluated by a multidisciplinary team and treated between 1999 and 2010 in Brno. Forty-five percent of patients were over thirty, more than 36% over forty. Thirty-one percent of patients had metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Demographic parameters, tumor-related and treatment-related variables included possible prognostic factors and their impact on response, overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were analyzed.

RESULTS

All the patients were followed up after treatment. Seventy-three percent of patients were poor responders to chemotherapy. Sixteen patients are alive, and twenty patients died. The survival time ranged from 2 to 177 months (average 45 months, median survival 23 months). The 5-year OS of all patients was 52.4%. OS of patients without metastasis was 68.12%, while 2-year OS with metastasis was 26% only. 5-year EFS was 38.7%. Univariate analysis revealed that the prognosis of adult osteosarcoma patients was significantly related to distant metastasis (p = 0.006), surgical stage (p = 0.00582), serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level (p = 0.00841) and serum lactatdehydrogenase (LD) level (p = 0.047). The other analyzed prognostic factors including age had no statistically significant influence on outcome of osteosarcoma in adult patients.

CONCLUSION

The prognosis of osteosarcoma in adult patients was significantly correlated to surgical stage, distant metastasis, serum ALP and LD.

[Rare tumors of the gallbladder and bile ducts. A case review]

The authors deal with the problem of benigh tumours of the bile duct which might occur as a very suprising intraoperative finding instead of preoperatively diagnosed "gallstones". This situation can happen because of possible mistakes that might accompany today's modern practical investigative techniques. The presented report is an example of the pre-operatirely assumed choledocholithiasis which was not confirmed during the operation. Instead a rare bile duct tumour was found.