Limb-sparing surgery may not provide benefit over amputation for bone cancer

Limb-sparing surgery in patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas offered little or no benefit compared with amputation, according to study findings.

To compare costs and benefits of the two treatments, researchers reviewed published papers that reported functional health and quality of life data after either procedure.

Limb-sparing surgery was as effective as amputation in ridding patients of cancer; however, it demonstrated a trend toward more early and late complications. In patients with lower limb bone sarcomas, limb-sparing surgery did not provide a better quality of life than amputation. Also, differences in disability between the two treatments were small, according to the researchers.

Several studies’ findings demonstrated no significant differences in psychological health and quality of life between limb-sparing surgery and amputation. In high surgical sites such as the hip, however, benefit was observed with limb-sparing surgery compared with amputation.

Although amputation typically has long-term costs including artificial limb manufacture, maintenance and replacement, limb-sparing surgery incurs up-front surgical costs, rehabilitation costs and cost for revisions.

Barr RD. Cancer. 2009;doi:10.1002/cncr.24458.