Primary malignant bone tumors in northern Iraq

Abstract AR

Objectives : To present the pattern of primary malignant bone tumors in the last 10 years (1990-2000) in our locality and to compare it with a previous study performed at the same center between 1980 and 1990.

'Patients A Methods: This is a retrospective study where the records of 211 patients with primary bone tumors from the departments of orthopedics and oncology at the Mosul Teaching Hospital during this time period were reviewed.

/Results: Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma were the most common malignant bone tumors reported in this series, followed by chondrosarcoma, giant cell tumors, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and fibrosarcoma.

There was a remarkable increase in the number of tumors reported when compared with that from the 1980-1990 study.

Conclusion: The increase in the number of primary malignant bone tumors and especially the increase in Ewing's sarcoma in our region reported over the past decade, as compared to the earlier decade, arouses questions about the impact of environmental pollution, the availablilty of medical services during this period, and other factors.