Correlation between Survival and Tumour Characteristics in Patients with Chondrosarcoma

PURPOSE. To evaluate the correlation between survival and tumour characteristics in 23 patients with chondrosarcoma. METHODS. Records of 15 men and 8 women aged 14 to 66 (mean, 37) years who were diagnosed with primary (n=19) or secondary (n=4) chondrosarcoma of the axial skeleton (n=8), proximal extremity (n=9), or distal extremity (n=6) were reviewed. The tumour diameter was <10 cm in 4 patients, 10-19 cm in 12, and 20-30 cm in 7. The tumour involved the intramedullary in 17 and the periosteum in 6 patients; tumour extension was intracompartmental in 5 and extracompartmental in 18 patients. The Evans histological grade for the tumours was grade 1 in 6 patients, grade 2 in 10, and grade 3 in 7. The mean tumour size was 12.3 cm for grade 1 tumours, 18.2 cm for grade 2 tumours, and 18.3 cm for grade 3 tumours. 13 patients had no metastasis and 3 of 10 patients with grade 2 tumours and all 7 patients with grade 3 tumours had metastasis to the lung at presentation. 17 patients underwent surgery, one underwent adjuvant treatment only, and 5 declined treatment. RESULTS. The mean follow-up period for the 23 patients was 3.1 years (range, 3 weeks to 9 years). The 5-year survival rate was 43% overall, 83.3% for grade 1 tumours, 50% for grade 2 tumours, and 0% for grade 3 tumours. The median survival duration was 20 (95% confidence interval, 11-29) months. Two patients had local recurrence and 16 did not, and the 5 patients who declined treatment died. Survival correlated with Evans histological grading (p=0.004), the presence of metastasis at presentation (p=0.026) and local recurrence (p=0.004). CONCLUSION. The survival rate was lower in patients with higher Evan grading, metastasis, or local recurrence.