Osteogenic sarcoma of the fourth thoracic vertebra. Long-term survival by chemotherapy only

A unique case of a 15-year-old boy with complete paraplegia due to the compression of osteogenic sarcoma at the fourth thoracic vertebra is presented. Because of the difficulty of surgical treatment, he was treated merely by the arterial infusion of Adriamycin (doxorubicin) and systemic chemotherapy in conformity with the cyclophosphamide, Oncovin (vincristine), methotrexate, phenylalanine mustard, Adriamycin (doxorubicin) ( COMPADRI )-III regimen. The patient regained normal function, and has been disease-free without any neurologic deficit for 6 years. There appears to be some hope for cure using chemotherapy only in otherwise unpromising patients.