Systemic doxorubicin and intraarterial cisplatin preoperative chemotherapy plus postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with osteosarcoma.

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma has been well defined. Recently, the use of preoperative chemotherapy has been further enhanced by the use of intraarterial cisplatin. The authors describe the use and results of systemic doxorubicin and intraarterial cisplatin as a preoperative regimen for eight pediatric patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of an extremity. The therapy was well tolerated. Six patients achieved satisfactory local tumor control and were able to receive the surgical procedure to permit limb salvage. Two of these six patients subsequently developed metastatic disease. Of the two patients who did not achieve satisfactory local tumor control to permit a limb salvage procedure, both underwent amputation and one later developed metastatic disease. Five patients have remained continuously free of disease for a median of 18 months (range, 12-21 months). This report confirms the observations that intraarterial cisplatin and doxorubicin can be used as a safe and effective regimen preoperatively for pediatric patients with osteosarcoma of an extremity.