Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a mesenchymal malignancy characterized by the formation of immature osteoid by tumor cells. It is the most common primary malignant bone tumor after multiple myeloma and has a bimodal distribution with peaks in the second decade of life and in patients over 65 years old. The etiology of osteosarcoma is not well elucidated, but there could be a relationship between the appearance of the tumor and accelerated bone growth. The distal femur, proximal tibia, and proximal humerus are the bone location most common affected. The long-term overall survival in patients with osteosarcoma has improved dramatically since the 1970s, due to advances in chemotherapy, moving from 20% to 80% of survival. Adjuvant chemotherapy is considered a standard component of high-grade osteosarcoma treatment in children and adults. The MAP (doxorubicin/cisplatin/HD-MTX) regimen is nowadays the most frequently used. The association between surgery for local control and systemic treatment with multidrug chemotherapy is nowadays the standard treatment protocol.