• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1101-1106
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• 2013

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in childhood and adolescence. Carboplatin, a platinum-derived agent, is used as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pediatric osteosarcoma because of its anti-tumor activity and had low toxicity as compared to cisplatin. Objective: To determine demographic data, prognostic factors and outcome of childhood osteosarcoma treated with a carboplatin-based chemotherapeutic protocol at Chiang Mai University. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 34 osteosarcoma patients aged less than 18 years and treated between 2003 and 2011. Results: Overall limb-salvage and amputation rates were 23.5% and 70.6%, respectively. With the mean follow-up time of 29.5 months (1.5-108.9), the Kaplan-Meier analysis for 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 3-year overall survival (OS) were $20.2{\pm}7.7%$ and $47.1{\pm}9.5%$ respectively. Patients who had initial pulmonary metastasis were at significantly greater risk for developing recurrence (p=0.02, OR=7; 1.2-40.1) and had a tendency to have lower 3-year OS compared to those without initial pulmonary metastasis ($28.1{\pm}13%$, $63.1{\pm}12.3%$, respectively, p=0.202). On univariate analysis, age at diagnosis >14 years and patients who were declined surgery were significantly associated with lower 3-year OS (p=0.008 and <0.05, respectively). However, age at diagnosis, sex, tumor size and histological subtypes were not found to significantly affect recurrence or survival. Conclusions: In our study, the survival rate was far lower than those reported from developed countries. These might indicate the ineffectiveness of carboplatin in combination with doxorubicin as frontline treatment of pediatric osteosarcoma, especially in those with initial pulmonary metastasis. Refinement in risk and treatment stratification and dose intensification for pediatric osteosarcoma constitutes a future challenge to improve outcomes, especially in metastatic patients who may need a more intensive regimen.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.23-26
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• 2008

A 2-year-old, female, Turkish Angora cat was presented due to hindlimb paralysis with 2-day history of vomiting and depression. Physical examination revealed weak femoral pulse and cyanotic footpads of hind limbs. Chest auscultation, thoracic radiography, and electrocardiogram were no remarkable. Abdominal ultrasonography showed suspected hyperechoic thrombus in abdominal aorta. Underlying causes of the arterial thromboembolism were not found on multiple diagnostic examinations and the cat was diagnosed as idiopathic saddle thromboembolism. Despite 4-week regimen with heparin sodium, aspirin, and diltiazem, the hind limbs were progressively and irreversibly necrotized. Therefore, coxofemoral amputation was performed. After surgery, the clinical condition of this cat returned to normal without further complications.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.74-81
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• 2001

Purpose: We analyzed 35 patients of malignant tumors of the foot and ankle to evaluate clinical manifestation. result of treatment and prognosis. Materials and Methods: Thirty five patients who were histologically confirmed for malignant tumors of the foot and ankle from September 1984 to May 1999 were investigated. Results: There were 16 males and 19 females. with an average age 38.3 years. Ten tumors were originated from bone and 25 from soft tissue; osteosarcoma (8) was the most common bone tumor and synovial sarcoma (8) and malignant melanoma (6) were common in soft tissue tumors. Surgical procedures included; marginal resection (2), limb salvage procedure after wide resection (5) for bone tumors, and amputation (12), wide resection (4), marginal resection (5) for soft tissue tumors. In some cases, perioperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy were given. There were 2 local recurrences and 11 metastases; 5 metastases were found at the time of initial diagnosis. Average follow-up was 3.5 years. Conclusion: We conclude that suspicion and early diagnosis are important in malignant tumors of the foot and ankle, and the resection margin must be obtained more thoroughly during surgery with perioperative adjuvant therapy, if necessary.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2003

Purpose: This study was designed to provide the data base for the diagnosis and treatment of the foot tumor by investigation of the clinical and pathological characteristics and distribution of the foot tumor. Materials and Methods: 142 foot tumors of 141 patients were studied. All patients were diagnosed with surgical biopsy. We investigated clinical and pathological characteristics and epidemiologic distribution of the foot tumor by reviewing the medical records and imaging materials. The location of the tumors were classified with zone of Kirby et al. Results: 75 patients were female and 66 were male. The average age of the patients was 33.2 years old. Benign soft tissue tumors were the most as 68 cases, and followed by 57 benign bone tumors, 12 malignant soft tissue tumors and 5 malignant bone tumors. Ganglia were the most in benign soft tissue tumors as 36 cases, subungual exostoses in benign bone tumors as 18, squamous cell carcinomas in malignant soft tissue tumors as 7, and metastatic lung cancers in malignant bone tumors as 2. The rate of pain complaints was the highest in malignant bone tumors, the duration of symptom was longest in benign soft tissue tumors, and the size of the tumor was the biggest in malignant bone tumors. Neurological symptoms were found in only 3 benign soft tissue tumors. For the zonal distribution, zone 5 was the most in 59 cases and zone 4 was the least as 10. The most numbers of the benign bone tumors located in zone 5, of benign soft tissue tumors in zone 1, of malignant bone tumors in zone 1 and 2, and of malignant soft tissue tumors in zone 5. The methods of surgical treatment included intralesional or marginal resection, curettage with or without bone graft, toe amputation, below knee amputation and limb salvage. Conclusion: The tumors of the foot were rare and various, and mostly benign (88%), but we can do proper treatment of those tumors without excluding malignant tumors by considering the age of patients, pain, duration of symptom, size of the tumors, and zonal distribution.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.80-88
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• 1997

Malignant tumors of extremeties involving major neurovascular structures have been treated by amputation. However recent development of diagnostic tools(CT, MRI etc.), surgical techniques, anticancer chemotherapeutic agents, and radiation techniques allow surgeons to treat malignant tumors in the limb without amputation. It has been reported that a local application of low-heat to the tissue with tumor can kill tumor cells. It is, however, not known if the attendant neural and vascular injuries may be recovered. The present study was, therefore, undertakn to address this question in rabbit sciatic nerves. A low-heat injury to the sciatic nerve was induced by perfusing the nerve with $60^{\circ}C$ saline for 30 minutes and the courses of functional and morphological recovery of the nerve were evaluated for 16 weeks. The results are summerized as follows : 1. In the electromyographic nerve conduction test the average amplitude was markedly attenuated at 4 and 8 weeks after the low-heat treatment, but it progressively increased to the level 89.5% of the control at 16 week post-treatment. The average latency in the control group was 0.62 msec. The latency in the experimental group was much longer than this at 4 and 8 week post-treatment, but it progressively reverted to the control level, showing 0.622 msec at 16 weeks. 2. In the needle EMG, many fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves were appeared until 8 weeks post-treatment. After 16 weeks, however, no fibrillation potential was observed. 3. In the early phase of post-treatment period, the myelinated nerve fibers contained many vacuoles and the number of myelinated nerve fibers appeared to be considerably reduced. However, as time goes myelinated nerve fibers were regenerated, such that after 16 weeks the histologic appearance of the nerve was similar to that of the control group.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9823-9829
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• 2014

Background: High-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) is recognized as an efficient component of therapy against pediatric osteosarcoma in combination with other drugs such as cisplatin (CDP), carboplatin (CBDCA), doxorubicin (ADM), etoposide (VP-16) and ifosfamide (IFO). Objectives: To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the HD-MTX/CDP/DOX/VP-16/IFO [MTX(+)] protocol comparable to CDP/ADM/CBDCA/IFO [MTX(-)] for treating childhood osteosarcoma at Ramathibodi Hospital (1999-2014). Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of osteosarcoma patients aged less than 18 years treated with two chemotherapeutic regimens between 1999 and 2014. A total of 45 patients received the MTX(-) and 21 the MTX(+) protocol. Results: Overall limb-salvage and amputation rate were 12.9% and 77.7%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis results for 3-year disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) regardless of treatment regimens were $43.4{\pm}6.0%$ and $53.2{\pm}6.1%$ respectively. The 3-year DFS and OS were improved significantly with the MTX(+) protocol compared to MTX(-) protocol (p=0.010 and p=0.009, log rank test) [$69.8{\pm}10.5%$, $79.8{\pm}9.1%$ for MTX(+) and $31.1{\pm}6.9%$, $42.2{\pm}7.4%$ for MTX(-) protocol, respectively]. Patients with metastatic osteosarcoma treated with the MTX(+) protocol had statistically significant higher 3-year DFS and OS than those treated with the MTX(-) protocol ($66.7{\pm}13.6%$ and $15.0{\pm}8.0%$ for 3-year DFS, p=0.010, $73.3{\pm}13.2%$ and $20{\pm}8.9%$ for 3-year OS, p=0.006, respectively). The independent risk factors for having inferior 3-year DFS and OS were poor histological response (tumor necrosis <90%) and treatment with the MTX(-) protocol. The multivariate analysis identified only the treatment with the MTX(-) protocol as an independent predictor of inferior OS with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.53 (95% confidence interval of 1.2-10.41, p=0.022). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the tolerability, feasibility and efficacy of the HDMTX-based regimen improving the survival rate in pediatric osteosarcoma cases, in line with reports from developed countries.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.5-11
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• 2009

Purpose: The mortality and the amputation rates due to vascular trauma remain high despite advanced vascular surgical techniques and supportive management. The clinical features of patients with vascular trauma have not been well studied in the Korean population. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with vascular trauma and to develop a database and guidelines for improving the outcomes of treatment. Methods: The medical records of 37 patients with traumatic vascular injuries who had visited in an emergency center between January 2002 and December 2006 were retrospectively reviewed and statistically analyzed. Results: The mean age was 37.8 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 5.2 : 1. The mechanism of vascular trauma was penetrating in 18 patients and blunt in 19 patients. Upper extremities were most frequently injured (39.4%). The treatment methods were primary repair in 21 patients, exploratory laparotomies in 7, radiological interventions in 3, resections and graft interpositions of the pseudoaneurysm in 3, observations in 3 and a bypass graft in 1. Four out of the 37 patients died, and three of these who died had injuried abdominal vessels. Twenty-five of the patients recovered completely, four expired, seven had neuropathy in the course of treatement, one had his limb amputated, and one experienced wound necrosis. Conclusion: Peripheral vessel injuries are commonly accompanied by nerve, muscle, or tendon injuries. Patients without associated fractures or compartment syndrome had good prognosis. Although the time intervals from hospital arrival to definite treatment were the shortest among patients with blunt abdominal vascular injuries, three expired. Therefore, we offer a 'ritical pathway'to improve the outcomes of patients with blunt abdominal vascular injury.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

Purpose: With advances in various treatment modalities, limb salvage surgery has been commonly used in osteosarcoma of extremities. An alternative method for skeletal reconstruction is reimplantation of the tumor bearing bone following extracorporeal irradiation (ECI). We report the long-term results of ECI autograft in aspect of the oncological and functional outcomes, and complications. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 31 osteosarcoma patients who underwent reconstruction with ECI between July 1995 and January 2006. There were 24 males and 7 females with a mean age of 24 (7-74 years) and a mean follow-up of 117 months (17-177 months). Twenty-five cases were reconstructed with ECI autograft, 6 cases with ECI autograft-prosthesis composite. The pathologic subtypes were conventional in 29 cases, periosteal in 1 case, and parosteal in 1 case. The most common location of tumor was distal femur (15 cases) followed by humerus (3), proximal fibula (3) and proximal tibia (3). Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score was used for functional evaluation. The overall survival rate, local recurrence, complications were analyzed. Results: The overall survival rate was 80.6% and the disease-free survival rate was 64.5%. Five patients died of distant metastasis. One patient required above-knee amputation due to local recurrence. All of them, twenty-three complications occurred, which included nonunion in 7 cases, deep infection in 5 cases, joint instability in 4 cases, metal failure in 2 cases, Limb-length discrepancy (LLD) in 2 cases, periprosthetic fracture in 1 case, epiphyseal collapse in 1, local recurrence in 1 case. The mean MSTS functional score was 62.5%. Conclusion: Extracorporeal irradiated autograft can be achieved relatively good result in aspect of oncological and functional aspect, but is needed to be additional research about occurring many complications. The reconstruction with ECI after intercalary or fragmentary resection is effective reconstruction in aspect of oncological and functional result, complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2009

Background: Vascular injuries to the extremities are potentially devastating and they can lead to limb loss and mortality if they are not appropriately managed. The vascular trauma caused by traffic and industrial accidents has recently increased according to the developing industry and transport system in Korea. Early recognition and treatment of these injuries are mandatory to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Material and Method: We retrospective reviewed 43 patients with vascular injuries that were due to blunt and penetrating trauma and they underwent emergency operations from January of 1998 to December of 2006. Result: There were 38 men and 5 women patients with a mean age of $42.0{\pm}16.8$ years (range: 17~77). The cause of vascular injuries were 28 traffic accidents (65%), 6 industrial accidents (14%), 6 glass injuries (14%) and 3 knife injuries (7%). The average time from admission to the operating room was $319.0{\pm}482.2$ minutes (range: 27~2,400 minutes). The average time from admission to discharge was $53.1{\pm}56.0$ days (range: 2~265 days). The anatomic injuries included the femoral artery in 16 cases (37%), the popliteal artery in 8 cases (19%), the brachial artery in 8 cases (19%), and the subclavian and axillary arteries in 7 cases (16%). The associated injuries were 23 bone fractures (53%), 18 muscle injuries (42%) 5 nerve injuries (12%) and 11 vein injuries (26%). The operation methods were 20 end to end anastomoses (46%), 16 interposition grafts (36%), 2 repairs with using patches (5%) and 5 others (12%). The number of amputations and cases of mortality were 3 cases (7%) and 4 cases (9%), respectively. Conclusion: Minimizing ischemia is an important factor for maximizing salvage of extremities. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can reduce the amputation and mortality rates.