Giant cell tumors of bone: nonsurgical factors associated with local recurrence

Objective: To determine the rate of giant cell tumor (GCT) recurrence and evaluate the factors associated with its recurrence in patients who underwent surgery and submitted to only one adjuvantmethod. Methods: Forty–one patients (22 female, 19 male; mean age: 34.22±9.70 years) with GCT, who underwent surgical and one adjuvant treatment, were evaluated after a mean follow-up period of 40.17±22.08 months. The average tumor size was 8.51 ± 3.69 cm. The tumors in 18 patients (43.9%) were grade II and in 23 patients (56.1%) grade III, according to the system developed by Campanacci et al. The surgical margin was intralesional resection and curettage in 60.9% of the patients, and marginal or wide resection in 39.1%. Results: Nine (22%) of the 41 patients had recurrence. None of the gender (p=0.436), age (p=0.310), site of the tumor (p=0.940), surgical margins (p=0.400) and the type of the filling material (PMMA or autograft) (p=0.680) had an association with recurrence. However, Campanacci grade III (p=0.028) and the size of the tumor (p=0.034) was associated with the recurrence. Conclusion: Tumor size and tumor grade III according to the Campanacci system appear to be risk factors for local recurrence after the local resection of GCT.