Osteosarcoma of the Upper Extremities: A National Analysis of the US Population.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Osteosarcoma of the upper extremities is rare, and characteristics in this location have not been described before. We aimed to analyze the characteristics and survival rate of osteosarcoma of the upper extremities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed by querying the National Cancer Database. Statistical analysis was performed using a multivariate logistic regression model and Kaplan-Meier log-rank tests for survival. RESULTS: A total of 991 patients were diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the upper extremities. Most tumors were osteogenic and osteoblastic (66.8%), larger than 8 cm (47.9%), high grade (64.3%), lymph node-negative (7.9%), and without metastasis to lungs (39.0%). Osteosarcomas of the hand and wrist were less likely to be high-grade when compared to osteosarcomas of the forearm, arm, and shoulder. CONCLUSION: The results of this study help us to approach patients promptly and avoid total amputation, increasing functionality and prognosis of the disease.