OUTCOMES AFTER MULTIMODALITY TREATMENT OF MUSCULOSKELETAL TUMORS

Outcomes of treatment of musculoskeletal tumours are evaluated for eff ectiveness of chemotherapy protocols, function obtained after surgery and survival after treatment. Quality of life achieved after multi-mod ality treatment is dependent on a combination of all of these factors. Quality of life varies significantly along the treatment pathway, and continuously through the life of a patient. The patient's perception of outcome is based on the total effect of the disease and its treatme nt, rather than necessarily focussing on separate items of treatment. We have found that visual analogue scales can be used effectively to g auge the patient's perception of their quality of life. Such a method has shown that, overall, perceptions of quality of life seem to be bet ter for those patients who have undergone successful limb salvage surg ery when compared with those who have undergone amputation, but the di fferences are not as great as might be assumed.