Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare, almost uniformally lethal variant of
chondrosarcoma which has been regarded as resistant to
chemotherapy and
radiotherapy. Seventeen cases are reported; 14 are dead of
tumor or still alive with disease; eight of the 14 died less than one year
after treatment, predominately of distant metastatic disease. This confirms previous reports of the highly aggressive nature of
mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. Although surgery is regarded as the major method of treating the primary disease, it has limitations because many
tumors cannot be adequately removed owing to location or extension to unresectable sites. It was found that such
tumors respond to irradiation and that a combination of
chemotherapy and
radiotherapy should be used in unresectable
tumors or those resected with inadequate margins.
Adjuvant chemotherapy is advised in all cases treated with radical surgical excision. Unfavorable prognostic factors in
mesenchymal chondrosarcoma are
pain as a presenting symptom and a central rather than a peripheral limb location.