Dr Randall on Consensus Developed at The Annual Birmingham Orthopedic Oncology Meeting

"What was nice to see that there was strong consensus around 19 of the 21 statements, and that's greater than 80%, but there were a couple of areas where there were some real points of contention."

R. Lor Randall, MD, FASCO, chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the David Linn Endowed Chair for Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California, Davis, discussed key findings from the Birmingham Orthopedic Oncology Meeting, where international experts convened to establish consensus on the management of chondrosarcoma and infection in oncology reconstructions.

During this 2-day meeting, Randall noted that strong consensus—defined as agreement by more than 80% of participants—was reached on 19 of the 21 chondrosarcoma statements, highlighting broad global alignment on critical aspects of disease evaluation and treatment.

Consensus was achieved on the essential role of radiology in both diagnostic workup and surveillance, as well as on the management of locally recurrent disease and treatment strategies for dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, Randall explained. Importantly, there was agreement that conventional chondrosarcoma does not warrant routine chemotherapy, a position supported by the tumor’s known chemoresistance. Delegates also endorsed radiographic surveillance as an appropriate management approach for low-grade, intraosseous lesions, confirming that observation—rather than immediate surgical intervention—is consistent with international standards of care in appropriately selected cases.

Despite widespread agreement, Randall acknowledged that 2 statements did not reach consensus, reflecting areas of clinical uncertainty that warrant further investigation. These points of contention underscore the ongoing need for collaborative research to refine treatment strategies in complex or less well-defined clinical scenarios, he said.

The meeting also included deliberation on infection in oncologic reconstructions, although detailed results from these discussions were not disclosed in the session summary. Randall emphasized that the level of international participation and the structured voting process lend validity to the consensus outcomes and offer a framework for clinical decision-making in both chondrosarcoma and post-reconstructive infection management.