Denosumab May Increase the Risk of Local Recurrence in Patients with Giant-Cell Tumor of Bone Treated with Curettage :

Two hundred and fourteen patients with benign giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB), treated from 1980 to 2007 at the Department of Orthopedics of the University of Muenster (Germany), were analyzed in a retrospective study. The mean age was 33.3 years with a female-to-male ratio of 1.2 : 1. The mean follow up was 59.8 months. The recurrence rate of patients who received first treatment at our institution was 16.6%. The most common primary treatment was curettage (188 patients) usually followed by adjuvant local therapy. The effects of bone cement (PMMA), burring and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) were statistically analyzed and the influence of a subchondral bone graft on the recurrence rate was evaluated. PMMA alone (n = 52) reduces the likelihood of recurrence by the factor 8.2, additional high-speed burring (n = 39) by the factor 3.9 (compared to PMMA only). H(2)O(2) (n = 42) seems to have an additional effect comparable to that of phenol although it did not reach statistical significance. The combination of all adjuncts (PMMA, burring, H(2)O(2) - n = 42) reduces the likelihood of recurrence by the factor 28.2 compared to curettage only and therefore should be recommended as a standard treatment. If the tumor reaches close to the articulating surface a subchondral bone graft (n = 42) can be performed without risking a higher recurrence rate. We add seven cases of pulmonary metastases and two cases of multicentricity to the literature. Bisphosphonates and interferon alpha may have a beneficial effect.

Many surgeons treat giant cell tumor of bone (GCT) with intralesional curettage. Wide resection is reserved for extensive bone destruction where joint preservation is impossible or when expendable sites (eg, fibular head) are affected. Adjuvants such as polymethylmethacrylate and phenol have been recommended to reduce the risk of local recurrence after intralesional surgery. However, the best treatment of these tumors and risk factors for recurrence remain controversial. We evaluated the recurrence-free survival after surgical treatment of GCT to determine the influence of the surgical approach, adjuvant treatment, local tumor presentation, and demographic factors on the risk of recurrence. We retrospectively reviewed 118 patients treated for benign GCT of bone between 1985 and 2005. Recurrence rates, risk factors for recurrence and the development of pulmonary metastases were determined. The minimum followup was 36 months (mean, 108.4 ± 43.7; range, 36-233 months). Wide resection had a lower recurrence rate than intralesional surgery (5% versus 25%). Application of polymethylmethacrylate decreased the risk of local recurrence after intralesional surgery compared with bone grafting; phenol application alone had no effect on the risk of recurrence. Pulmonary metastases occurred in 4%; multidisciplinary treatment including wedge resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy achieved disease-free survival or stable disease in all of these patients. We recommend intralesional surgery with polymethylmethacrylate for the majority of primary GCTs. Because pulmonary metastases are rare and aggressive treatment of pulmonary metastases is usually successful, we believe the potential for metastases should not by itself create an indication for wide resection of primary tumors. Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.