We looked at long-term psychological effects of limb salvage surgery on young people treated for osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcomas with limb salvage surgery and high-dose neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.

After an extensive survey of the literature, we conducted semi-structured interviews with five young adult survivors. They reported various treatment-linked psychological symptoms, some of which persisted in varying degrees for up to 10 years after completion of treatment. Depending largely upon social and family support during and after treatment, the symptoms seem to become less invasive as time passes, but the survivors reported that some of them recur at transition periods in their lives and before annual follow-up visits. All view themselves as stronger people who have learnt much from their experience, and said that counselling and the provision of information at the treatment centres had helped in their adaptation.

The multi-disciplinary team approach in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with cancer is of paramount importance.