Color Doppler ultrasonography evaluation for chemotherapy treatment response of osteogenic sarcoma

The aim of this study was to evaluate the vascular parameters of the proximal peripheral arteries of limbs by color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) in individuals with osteogenic sarcoma (OGS) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and their relation to the tumor necrosis rate. We recruited 50 individuals with osteogenic sarcoma who were scheduled for neoadjuvant chemotherapy before elective surgery from 2003 to 2010. Once enrolled, we evaluated these 50 subjects using color Doppler sonography to identify vascular parameters of tumor vessels before and after neoadjuvant therapy. The vascular parameters of the proximal peripheral arteries of limbs (peak systolic velocity [PSV], end-diastolic velocity [EDV], resistive index [RI]) and tumor neovascularity were compared before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy using CDUS. Before chemotherapy, the PSV, EDV and RI differed significantly between the diseased and contralateral normal limbs (p < 0.001). Among the factors relating to the tumor necrosis rate before chemotherapy, the EDV of the diseased limb (p = 0.047) and tumor neovascularity (p = 0.027) showed significant differences. After chemotherapy, the PSV of the diseased limb (p = 0.022) and the difference in PSV between the diseased and contralateral limbs (p = 0.003) showed significant differences. The vascular parameters of the proximal peripheral arteries of limbs owing to tumor burden differ significantly between the diseased and contralateral normal limbs. For individuals with osteogenic sarcoma who still have a higher difference in PSV between the diseased and contralateral limbs after chemotherapy, another course of chemotherapy after surgery and close follow-up should be considered.