Incidence, epidemiology and treatment results of osteosarcoma in Finland - a nationwide population-based study

Patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma in Finland during 1991-2005 were retrospectively analyzed in a nationwide, population-based study. We focused on the incidence, treatment and outcome of osteosarcoma patients. We also evaluated the value of known prognostic parameters.

Osteosarcomas were retrieved from the files of the national Finnish Cancer Registry. Only patients with histologically confirmed osteosarcoma were included in the analysis. Histological review was performed.

The study consists of 144 osteosarcoma patients with a mean follow-up of 9.8 years for survivors. Mean annual incidence of histologically confirmed osteosarcoma was 1.8 new osteosarcomas per million. The 10-year sarcoma-specific survival for the whole population was 63% and 73% for patients with local disease at presentation. Overall limb-salvage rate was 73% and local control was 84% for patients with a peripheral tumor. Development of local recurrence and major deviation from the chemotherapy protocol were significant adverse factors for sarcoma-specific survival in multivariate analysis.

The present nationwide and population-based study is our second report of treatment and prognosis of osteosarcoma in Finland. With modern chemotherapy the prognosis of local osteosarcoma has improved in Finland from 47% during 1971-1980 and 65% during 1981-1990 at five years to the present 73% during 1991-2005 at 10 years. The 10-year sarcoma-specific survival of 73% is excellent and comparable to results reported with contemporary treatment protocols in high-volume centers. However, improvement in limb-salvage rate and local control probably requires centralization of treatment of this rare disease.