The role of surgical margins in chondrosarcoma.

INTRODUCTION: Chondrosarcoma (CS) is the second most common primary bone sarcoma with no clear role for adjuvant therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the relationship between surgical excision margins and local recurrence free survival (LRFS), and (2) the role of local recurrence (LR) in disease specific survival (DSS) in CS of the extremity and pelvis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 341 pelvic and extremity CS diagnosed between 2003 and 2015 were studied retrospectively.

RESULTS: LR developed in 23% of cases. Pelvic location, pathologic fracture, margin and grade were significant factors for LR after univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed surgical margin and pelvic location as positive factors for LR, and grade-1 and 2 CS as negative factors for LR. Pathologic fracture, central versus peripheral, grade, and LR were significant factors with univariate analysis for DSS; and grade was significant after multivariate analysis for all patients for DSS. After competing risk analysis, LR was statistically significant for DSS in grade-2 and grade-3 tumors.

CONCLUSION: Surgical margins determine LR in all CS grades, but LR affects DSS only in grade-2 and grade-3 tumors. Although narrow margins are acceptable in grade-1 tumors, since biopsy is unreliable in predicting final grade, a minimum 4-mm margin should be the aim in all cases.