Table 1.
Patient characteristics at the start of systemic therapy
| Characteristics | Total | THP group | DOX group | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| (n=96) | (n=47) | (n=49) | ||
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 53 (55.2%) | 25 (53.2%) | 28 (57.1%) | 0.427 |
| Age at study entry (years) | ||||
| ≤14 | 35 (36.5%) | 16 (34.0%) | 19 (38.8%) | 0.394 |
| Primary tumor site | ||||
| Distal femur | 44 (45.8%) | 21 (44.7%) | 23 (46.9%) | 0.493 |
| Proximal tibia | 23 (24.0%) | 11 (23.4%) | 12 (24.5%) | 0.546 |
| Proximal humerus | 10 (10.4%) | 6 (12.8%) | 4 (8.2%) | 0.344 |
| Proximal fibula | 8 (8.3%) | 4 (8.5%) | 4 (8.2%) | 0.619 |
| Other bones | 11 (11.5%) | 5 (10.6%) | 6 (12.2%) | 0.530 |
| Histology | ||||
| Osteoblastic | 50 (52.1%) | 24 (51.1%) | 26 (53.1%) | 0.503 |
| Chondroblastic | 14 (14.6%) | 7 (14.9%) | 7 (14.3%) | 0.580 |
| Fibroblastic | 9 (9.4%) | 4 (8.5%) | 5 (10.2%) | 0.527 |
| Telangiectatic | 6 (6.3%) | 3 (6.4%) | 3 (6.1%) | 0.641 |
| Impossible to specify | 11 (11.5%) | 5 (10.6%) | 6 (12.2%) | 0.530 |
| Small cell | 6 (6.3%) | 4 (8.5%) | 2 (4.1%) | 0.319 |
| Pathologic fracture | ||||
| Yes | 9 (9.4%) | 4 (8.5%) | 5 (10.2%) | 0.527 |
| Alkaline phosphatase | ||||
| Elevated | 55 (57.3%) | 26 (55.3%) | 29 (59.2%) | 0.430 |
| Tumor size | ||||
| Large (≥1/3 of bone) | 57 (59.4%) | 27 (57.4%) | 30 (61.2%) | |
| ECOG score | ||||
| 0 | 60 (62.5%) | 32 (68.1%) | 28 (57.1%) | 0.185 |
Categorical data are presented as numbers (percentages). Differences in baseline characteristics were analyzed by the χ2 test. ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; THP group, patients treated with the THP-based therapeutic regimen; DOX group, patients treated with the DOX-based therapeutic regimen.