Abstract
Osteosarcoma arising from the maxilla is a rare tumor of the head and neck region, accounting for only 6% to 7% of all osteosarcomas. Although therapy for maxillary cancer is well established, that for sarcoma of the maxilla, especially osteosarcoma is less clearly defined. In our department, a case of osteosarcoma arising from the maxilla was treated with surgery and chemo-radiotherapy. Surgery preceded postoperative irradiation with adjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy. In the literature, surgery is the most readily available form of therapy, whereas radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not commonly used in the treatment of osteosarcoma. The Japanese literature suggests that a combination of chemotherapy and surgery might improve the outcome in cases of osteosarcoma of the maxilla.
In cases of osteosarcoma, recurrence at the primary site is common, and the prognosis in these cases is generally poor. Therefore, precise evaluation of the extent of the osteosarcoma is more essential. In our patient, 3-dimension CT was used preoperatively, and proved useful for the evaluation of the extent of disease and the determination of suitable operative procedures.
