Chondrosarcoma of bone: a statistical analysis of prognostic factors

From 1980 to 1988, 30 cases of chondrosarcoma of the bone were treated surgically. Twenty-seven cases were followed from 6 months to 8.7 years (mean, 3.2 years). In all cases, a clinicopathological review was performed and the significance of prognostic factors were analyzed. The five-year survival of total patients was 88%. The survival was related to adequacy of treatment and histologic grade of the tumor. The five-year survival of adequately treated patients was 100%, but in inadequately treated patients it was 68%. At 8.7 years, 100% of the patients with grade-1 or grade-2 tumors survived, compared to 50% of the six-month survival rate in patients with the grade-3 tumors. None of the grade-1 or grade-2 chondrosarcomas metastasized, while 75% of grade-3 chondrosarcomas metastasized. The incidence of local recurrence was influenced by adequacy of treatment. At the final follow-up, the recurrence rate in the adequately treated group was 7%, while in the inadequately treated group it was 57%.