Primary intracerebral osteosarcoma

Article Abstract:

It is common to associate cancers with the organs in which they arise. But technically, cancers must be classed according to the microscopic structure of the cancer itself. Not only can different types of cancer arise from a single organ, but in some relatively infrequent cases, the tumor may develop the cellular characteristics of a totally different organ. As its name implies, osteosarcoma is a cancer of bone. However, it is possible to develop an osteosarcoma in tissues other than bone. For reasons not well understood, the cancerous cells decide to take on the characteristics of bone cancer. Curiously, osteosarcoma in bone is a disease of younger people, while osteosarcoma outside of bone occurs in older patients. In a recent case, a brain tumor was surgically removed and found to be an osteosarcoma upon microscopic examination. The patient was a 64-year-old man who developed a paralysis on his left side. Computed tomography revealed a large tumor mass on the right side of the brain. The tumor was removed, and the patient recovered from the operation only to die of complications of a heart attack three days later. The tumor mass was calcified and found to be an osteosarcoma, but autopsy findings ruled out the possibility that it was a metastatic tumor which had originated in the skull or some other bone and travelled to the brain. Different specific antibodies were used to stain microscopic sections of the tumor, but is was not possible to obtain any indication of the type of cell which gave rise to this bone cancer within the brain. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Case studies, Brain tumors

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Resection of pulmonary metastases in osteosarcoma: a retrospective analysis of 44 patients

Article Abstract:

Advances in chemotherapy have improved the outcome of patients with bone cancer. Nonetheless, when metastatic spread occurs, the metastatic tumors are usually more resistant to chemotherapy than the primary tumor. Osteosarcomas most often spread to the lungs, and the relative effectiveness of surgery and chemotherapy for pulmonary metastases was reviewed in 44 cases. Twenty-four patients did not have surgery; the reasons varied from lack of consent to rapid doubling times of tumors, to extension of tumor into the chest wall or other organs. Of these 24 patients, 2 were lost to follow-up and 1 is alive with soft tissue and lung metastases; the remaining 21 did not survive. Of the 20 patients who had surgery, either with or without chemotherapy, 6 are alive without evidence of disease, although two required additional surgery for local recurrences; a seventh developed an inoperable recurrence. The five-year survival rate was 37 percent. Surgery appeared to provide advantages for these patients. Chemotherapy provided no benefit to patients with identifiable metastatic tumors in the lungs. It remains uncertain whether chemotherapy may reduce or prevent new microscopic metastases in the lungs. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Chemotherapy, Bone cancer

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Surgical resection of pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer: 10-year follow-up

Article Abstract:

The spread of surgically removable cancer of the colon and rectum to the lung is uncommon. The 5- and 10-year survival rates have been characterized for 65 patients who had lung surgery to remove such metastases. The 5-year survival rate was 42 percent, while the 10-year survival rate was 22 percent, which was lower than expected. The average survival was 24 months. Patients who had fewer or smaller lung tumors had better five-year survival rates. Survival rates did not otherwise differ according to sex, age, site of metastasis, or extent of surgery. Since the disease-free time interval did not correlate with the survival rate, a ''length bias,'' which is the possible slow natural growth rate of metastatic cancer, may have influenced the poor 10-year survival. The study suggests that since there is no effective chemotherapy for lung metastases from colorectal cancer, aggressive surgery should be elaborated. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Colorectal cancer, Prognosis, Metastasis, Cancer metastasis

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