Introduction.
Chondrosarcomas are malignant bone
tumors that are characterized by the production of chondroid tissue. Since
radiation therapy and
chemotherapy have limited effect on
chondrosarcoma, treatment of most patients depends on surgical resection. We conducted this study to identify independent predictive factors and survival characteristics for conventional central
chondrosarcoma and dedifferentiated central
chondrosarcoma. Methods. A systematic literature review was performed in September 2014 using the Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Subsequent to a beforehand-composed selection procedure we included 13 studies, comprising a total of 1114 patients. Results. The prognosis of central
chondrosarcoma is generally good for the histologically low-grade
tumors. Prognosis for the high-grade
chondrosarcoma and the dedifferentiated
chondrosarcoma is poor with lower survival rates. Poor prognostic factors in conventional
chondrosarcoma for overall survival are high-grade
tumors and axial/pelvic
tumor location. In dedifferentiated
chondrosarcoma the percentage of dedifferentiated component has significant influence on disease-free survival. Conclusion. Despite the fact that there are multiple prognostic factors identified, as shown in this study, there is a need for prospective and comparative studies. The resulting knowledge about prognostic factors and survival can give direction in the development of better
therapies. This could eventually lead to an evidence-based foundation for treating
chondrosarcoma patients.