Multimodality treatment of osteosarcoma of the jaw : a single institution experience

Osteosarcomas of the jaws are rare mesenchymal tumors frequently diagnosed in the fourth decade of life which account for 6 % of all osteosarcomas. This study evaluated the efficacy on the patients outcome of multimodality treatment consisting of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The records of 22 patients affected by jaw osteosarcoma treated with a combination of surgery, poly-chemotherapy and adjuvant radiotherapy in selected cases were reviewed. Response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival were evaluated. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy resulted in an overall response rate of 83.3 %, necrosis of grade I or II was obtained, respectively, in 44.4 and 55.6 % of the patients, and surgery was radical in all patients. At a median follow-up of 60 months, the 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival were 73.5 and 77.4 %, respectively. These outcome parameters significantly correlated with age at diagnosis and grade of chemotherapy-induced necrosis. A complex multimodality approach including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, along with radical surgery, can maximize the outcome of patients affected by osteosarcoma of the jaws.