Radiation-induced osteosarcoma in the pubic bone after proton radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a case report

Objective: Radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS), which develops after radiotherapy, occurs as a secondary sarcoma in the irradiated area after a long latency period following radiation exposure. Patient: A 59-year-old man underwent hormone therapy for prostate cancer, followed by proton therapy (74 GyE) four years ago. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography performed 2.5 years later revealed (18)F-FDG accumulation in the left pubis. Three years after proton therapy, the patient developed gradually worsening left inguinal pain and visited our department. Imaging revealed bone destruction with a mixture of osteolysis and osteogenesis in the left pubis and the presence of an extraosseous tumor. Following biopsy, the patient was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Results: A systemic investigation revealed lung metastasis, and chemotherapy was initiated. The lung metastases shrank, and carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT, 70.4 GyE) was performed on the left pubic lesion after colostomy. Six months after carbon ion radiotherapy, recurrence was observed in the irradiated field, and CIRT was performed again. However, the patient died 22 months after the initial diagnosis because of cancerous pleurisy and pericarditis. Conclusions: Although RIS is rare, it should be actively identified using biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, keeping in mind that it is an important late complication of radiotherapy.