Combined Modality Treatment for Osteosarcoma Occurring as a Second Malignant Disease

PURPOSE: The prognosis of osteosarcoma occurring as a second malignant disease (OS-SMD) is thought to be poor. We attempted to evaluate whether this holds true when OS-SMD is treated with combined modality therapy as developed for primary osteosarcoma and if factors that influence survival might be identified. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients with OS-SMD registered at the Cooperative German-Austrian-Swiss Osteosarcoma Study Group (COSS) study center between 1980 and June 1996 were evaluated for patient- and treatment-related factors, local and systemic outcome, and survival. Therapy was to be given according to contemporary COSS protocols for primary extremity osteosarcoma, including surgery and multiagent chemotherapy. RESULTS: Thirty patients with OS-SMD were registered (median latency period, 9 years 2 months). The first malignancies had been retinoblastoma (10 patients), sarcoma (10 patients), lymphoma (five patients), carcinoma (four patients), and medulloblastoma (one patient). Treatment for these...