Management of musculoskeletal tumors of the extremity in low-resource settings

Management of extremity tumor is particularly challenging in low resource settings where patients are often referred with late presentations. First, diagnostic means are limited, with CT-scan, MRI and pathology usually not being available. Limitations are also related to therapeutic means, as the absence of adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) may preclude any improvement in overall survival despite a curative surgical treatment.
The authors suggest a kind of “toolbox” combining a diagnostic guide, based on clinical examination and X-rays, and therapeutic advice adapted to this context of care. The objective is to help the surgeon to better categorize the tumor to decide whether or not to operate or act in a relevant way. They do not aim to provide recommendations but rather an inventory of what the isolated surgeon should know to decide on the best treatment strategy which, however, can only be symptomatic.
Nicolas de l'Escalopier, Laurent Mathieu, Philippe Anract, David Biau

Key words: Africa; Extremity; Low resources setting; Masses; Musculoskeletal tumors