Noninvasive imaging with thallium-201 scintigraphy may not correlate with survival in patients with osteosarcoma Journal Article


Authors: Magnan, H.; Chou, A. J.; Chou, J. F.; Yeung, H. W. D.; Healey, J. H.; Meyers, P. A.
Article Title: Noninvasive imaging with thallium-201 scintigraphy may not correlate with survival in patients with osteosarcoma
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy is a strong prognostic factor for osteosarcoma (OS). Thallium-201 (Tl-201) scintigraphic response to initial chemotherapy has previously been described as a predictor of histologic response. In the current study, the authors re-examined a series of patients studied using Tl-201 scintigraphy to determine the correlation between changes observed on Tl-201 scintigraphy and event-free survival (EFS). METHODS: A total of 22 patients with biopsy-proven OS of the extremity underwent Tl-201 imaging before and immediately after preoperative chemotherapy. The maximum pixel counts taken over the tumor divided by those taken of a background region yielded a tumor-to-background ratio (TBR). The percentage of change in the TBR before and after adjuvant chemotherapy, defined as the alteration ratio (AR), was correlated with EFS. RESULTS: The median AR was 85% (range, 28-100%). The 3-year EFS was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.48-0.86) and the 5-year EFS was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.43-0.86). There was no association between AR and EFS detected in this cohort (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.95-1.02 [Somers rank correlation coefficient, 0.15]). CONCLUSIONS: Although Tl-201 scintigraphy was used as a tool for the assessment of response to chemotherapy in patients with OS, the AR did not appear to be predictive of EFS in this small group of patients. It is necessary to use the outcome variables of ultimate interest-EFS and overall survival- and not rely on surrogates for outcome to evaluate potential prognostic factors. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Keywords: osteosarcoma; adolescent; adult; child; clinical article; event free survival; preschool child; school child; treatment response; bone neoplasms; child, preschool; disease-free survival; cancer surgery; cisplatin; doxorubicin; cancer combination chemotherapy; cancer growth; cancer adjuvant therapy; chemotherapy; methotrexate; drug megadose; cancer grading; cyclophosphamide; vincristine; tumor biopsy; diagnostic imaging; ifosfamide; bleomycin; outcome; hazard ratio; thallium 201; bone scintiscanning; thallium radioisotopes; thallium-201
Journal Title: Cancer
Volume: 116
Issue: 17
ISSN: 0008-543X
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 2010-09-01
Start Page: 4147
End Page: 4151
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.25375
PUBMED: 20564163
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Export Date: 20 April 2011" - "CODEN: CANCA" - "Source: Scopus"
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MSK Authors
  1. Joanne Fu-Lou Chou
    331 Chou
  2. Alexander Ja-Ho Chou
    58 Chou
  3. Paul Meyers
    311 Meyers
  4. John H Healey
    547 Healey
  5. Heather Magnan
    31 Magnan