Management and outcome after local recurrence of osteosarcoma

We report on the management and outcome of 96 patients who developed local recurrence (LR) after having definitive primary treatment with chemotherapy and surgery for non-metastatic osteosarcoma. LR developed at a median of 11 months from initial surgical treatment. 18% of patients had metastases prior to the diagnosis of LR and 23% were found to have metastases synchronously. The prognosis for this group with metastases was 14% survival at 2 years. In the 57 patients without metastases at the time of development of LR, survival was 51% at 2 years and 41% at 5 years. Treatment was by excision of the LR and radiotherapy or by amputation. The only significant prognostic factors identified were the presence of metastases at the time of development of LR (P < 0.0001) and small size of the LR. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy was unclear. Whilst every attempt should be made to avoid LR, patients who develop LR are curable, particularly if they do not have metastases at the time of diagnosis of the LR.