OBJECTIVE: To review our experience with osteogenic sarcoma of the jaw. DATA SOURCE: The pathology and clinical files of the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, were examined. STUDY SELECTION: For the past 6 years, 12 pathologically documented cases were identified. DATA EXTRACTION: Surgical resection margins, histological tumor grade and subtype, and treatment modality were reexamined with regard to effect on outcome. DATA SYNTHESIS: The mean age of occurrence was 32.6 years, ranging from 12 to 60 years. Male predominance was noted in both mandibular and maxillary tumors. Local recurrence occurred in 6 of 12 patients after 3 months to 5 years; 4 of these patients have either persistent disease or died of disease. In this recurrence group, only 2 patients remain disease free 7 and 12 years after initial diagnosis and 6.5 and 8 years after recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This study is too small to draw statistically significant conclusions. However, the longest survivor in the group (disease free at 12 years) had a histologically low-grade mandibular tumor. We reiterate the findings in the literature, which agree that osteogenic sarcoma of the jaw is an aggressive disease. Patient prognosis may depend on the tumor grade and size on presentation, as well as the completeness of initial surgery as monitored by resection margins.
OBJECTIVE: To review our experience with osteogenic sarcoma of the jaw. DATA SOURCE: The pathology and clinical files of the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, were examined. STUDY SELECTION: For the past 6 years, 12 pathologically documented cases were identified. DATA EXTRACTION: Surgical resection margins, histological tumor grade and subtype, and treatment modality were reexamined with regard to effect on outcome. DATA SYNTHESIS: The mean age of occurrence was 32.6 years, ranging from 12 to 60 years. Male predominance was noted in both mandibular and maxillary tumors. Local recurrence occurred in 6 of 12 patients after 3 months to 5 years; 4 of these patients have either persistent disease or died of disease. In this recurrence group, only 2 patients remain disease free 7 and 12 years after initial diagnosis and 6.5 and 8 years after recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This study is too small to draw statistically significant conclusions. However, the longest survivor in the group (disease free at 12 years) had a histologically low-grade mandibular tumor. We reiterate the findings in the literature, which agree that osteogenic sarcoma of the jaw is an aggressive disease. Patient prognosis may depend on the tumor grade and size on presentation, as well as the completeness of initial surgery as monitored by resection margins.