Treatment of pelvic osteosarcoma.

Pelvic osteosarcoma is a very rare disease, with poor prognosis affecting young people. Since June 1987 we have observed 26 patients, F/M: 12/14, median age 23 years (range 14-55), 7 with lung metastases at diagnosis. Four patients underwent surgery as first line treatment; 4 patients received intravenous (i.v.) chemotherapy; eighteen out of 26 received 1-3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of high dose i.v. methotrexate plus leucovorin rescue, intraarterial cisplatin and i.v. epidoxorubicin. We obtained 8 PR, 9 SD, 1 PD. Hemipelvectomy has been performed in 4 cases (0%, 0%, 50%, 70% necrosis). The other 14 patients, judged not operable, received radiotherapy plus daily low doses of cisplatin. All patients have been treated with i.v. epidoxorubicin, ifosfamide, high dose methotrexate, cisplatin and etoposide. Two out of four patients who underwent surgery died at 17 and 18 months, 2 are alive and free of disease at 28+ and 17+ months from surgery. Among the 14 patients treated with radiotherapy, 9 died with a median survival of 18 months (5-22); 5 are alive with a median survival of 20 months (14-31). Although pelvic osteosarcoma has a limited cure rate at present, results could be improved in the future by means of earlier diagnosis and better combined treatment.