Osteosarcoma. Specific tumor management and results

The survival rate of patients with osteogenic sarcoma has greatly improved with the institution of a multidisciplinary approach that combines multi-agent chemotherapy and limb-sparing surgery. Presently, 80% of those patients who do not have distant metastases at presentation will become long-term survivors, compared to 20% prior to 1970. For patients with metastases at diagnosis, or who develop metastases after initiation of treatment, long-term survival is also possible if all primary and metastatic disease is removed. The data presented in this article supports aggressive resection of pulmonary metastases in osteogenic sarcoma patients.