A High-grade Sarcoma Arising in a Patient With Recurrent Benign Giant Cell Tumor of the Proximal Tibia While Receiving Treatment With Denosumab.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A giant cell tumor of bone is a primary benign but locally aggressive neoplasm. Malignant transformation in a histologically typical giant cell tumor of bone, without radiotherapy exposure, is an uncommon event, occurring in less than 1% of giant cell tumors of bone. Although surgery is the standard initial treatment, denosumab, a monoclonal antibody drug that inhibits receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), has shown considerable activity regarding disease and control of symptoms in patients with recurrence, unresectable, and metastatic giant cell tumors of bone.

CASE DESCRIPTION:

We report the case of a 20-year-old woman with a recurrent benign, giant cell tumor of bone, who had a bone sarcoma develop while receiving denosumab treatment.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

To our knowledge, there have been no reports of infection or malignancy with low-dose denosumab administration for osteoporosis. However, while there are relatively few reported side effects, the safety of denosumab and adverse events seen with higher doses, as used in treatment of giant cell tumors of bone are not well defined.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE:

Denosumab has become a valuable adjunct for treatment of recurrent or unresectable giant cell tumor of bone. It is not clear if our patient's malignant transformation of a giant cell tumor of bone while receiving denosumab treatment was caused by denosumab, but it is important to be aware of the possibility if more cases occur. Future studies should focus on the safety of high-dose denosumab administration in patients with a benign unresectable giant cell tumor of bone.

• Authors: Luis A Aponte-Tinao, Nicolas S Piuzzi, Pablo Roitman, German L Farfalli
• Journal: Clinical orthopaedics and related research (Clin Orthop Relat Res) Vol. 473 Issue 9 Pg. 3050-5 (Sep 2015) ISSN: 1528-1132 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25758379 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Denosumab

Topics

• Amputation, Surgical
• Antineoplastic Agents (adverse effects)
• Biopsy
• Bone Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Denosumab (adverse effects)
• Female
• Giant Cell Tumor of Bone (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy, pathology, surgery)
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Neoplasm Grading
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
• Radiography
• Risk Assessment
• Risk Factors
• Sarcoma (chemically induced, pathology, surgery)
• Tibia (drug effects, pathology)
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult