Cancer-Specific Survival after Limb Salvage versus Amputation in Children and Adolescents with Osteosarcoma: A Population-Based Analysis with Propensity Score Matching

BACKGROUND: The study aims to identify whether osteosarcoma patients of children and young adults will benefit from a survival profit from the choice of the operation method. METHODS: The National Cancer Institute SEER database from 2000 to 2018 was selected for a retrospective analysis of 1630 children and young adults with a primary diagnosis of osteosarcoma, 1222 who underwent limb-preserving surgery, and 408 who underwent amputation. Confounders were controlled for by propensity score matching (PSM), cancer-specific survival (CSS) was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of children and young osteosarcoma patients after surgery. A nomogram plot predicted 1-, 3-, and 5- survival rate in osteosarcoma. The model's accuracy was validated by the area under the ROC and calibration curves. RESULTS: After PSM, multifactor Cox regression analysis found AJCC Stage III-IV (CSS : HR = 5.26, 95% CI 1.95–14.18, p=0. 001; HR = 5.54, 95% CI 2.56–12.01, p < 0. 001. Limb salvage surgery (CSS : HR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.44–0.77, p < 0. 001) has independent impact factors for CSS prognosis. The survival curve before and after PSM showed that patients with osteosarcoma of children and young adults who underwent limb salvage surgery had a survival benefit compared with those who underwent amputation surgery. Gender, chemotherapy, histology, primary tumor site, stage, and surgical modality were modeled in a total of six variables in the nomogram. The model exhibited good predictive performance. The AUC were 0.823, 0.74, and 0.757 for training set at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The AUC of validation set 0.666, 0.722, and 0.699 at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The model also predicted CSS with good fidelity for both datasets. This model was significantly superior to the 8(th) edition of the AJCC TNM staging system, with a better net benefit in predicting CSS in children and young adults with osteosarcoma. CONCLUSION: Limb salvage surgery is an option for children and young adults with osteosarcoma and cancer-specific survival rates can be improved by receiving limb salvage surgery.