• BACKGROUND
    • We designed the study to investigate whether methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatinum (MAP) chemotherapy strategy was still the preferred option for the survival of osteosarcoma patients.
  • METHOD
    • We collected some trials of osteosarcoma to make a meta-analysis first. Then, we retrospectively collected data from 115 patients with osteosarcoma and performed further analysis to verify the impact of MAP regimen on the survival of patients.
  • RESULTS
    • Seven studies including 3433 participants met the preliminary inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of the 3-year disease-free survival (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88-1.28; P = .52) and overall survival (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 0.70-2.11; P = .54), 5-year disease-free survival (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.87-1.30; P = .54) and overall survival (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.65-1.12; P = .26), and mortality rate (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.70-1.17; P = .44), showed no statistically significant differences. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (498 [85.9%] patients in MAP vs 533 [93.3%] in MAP plus ifosfamide and etoposide, or other adjuvant therapy drugs [MAP]). MAP was associated with less frequent toxicities than MAP group with statistical significance in thrombocytopenia, febrile neutropenia, anemia, and hypophosphatemia. The same phenomenon could also be seen in the analysis of clinical data.
  • CONCLUSION
    • MAP regimen remains the preferred option for osteosarcoma chemotherapy.