Do osteosarcomas respond to chemotherapy?

Do osteosarcomas respond to chemotherapy?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Sometimes
• D. Unclear

Answer: (A)

Osteosarcoma generally responds to chemotherapy, and multi-agent regimens are a central part of treatment. Neoadjuvant (preoperative) chemotherapy is given to shrink the tumor, eradicate micrometastatic disease, and improve the chances of limb-sparing surgery. After the tumor is removed, the amount of cancer cell death seen in the specimen (tumor necrosis) helps gauge prognosis—the more tumor killed by the chemo, the better the outlook tends to be. While the degree of response varies between patients, large, well-established data show that osteosarcoma is chemosensitive overall, making chemotherapy a standard, effective component of therapy. Saying they do not respond, or that the response is uncertain or only sometimes, misses this clear therapeutic role.

Osteosarcoma generally responds to chemotherapy, and multi-agent regimens are a central part of treatment. Neoadjuvant (preoperative) chemotherapy is given to shrink the tumor, eradicate micrometastatic disease, and improve the chances of limb-sparing surgery. After the tumor is removed, the amount of cancer cell death seen in the specimen (tumor necrosis) helps gauge prognosis—the more tumor killed by the chemo, the better the outlook tends to be. While the degree of response varies between patients, large, well-established data show that osteosarcoma is chemosensitive overall, making chemotherapy a standard, effective component of therapy. Saying they do not respond, or that the response is uncertain or only sometimes, misses this clear therapeutic role.