Clinical Importance of near-Diploid Tumor Stem Lines in Patients with Osteosarcoma of an Extremity

Abstract

We determined the clinical value of flow-cytometric measurement of tumor-cell DNA content, which reflects the chromosome number (ploidy), in patients with osteosarcoma of an extremity. Hyperdiploid stem lines were identified in 25 of 26 tumor samples obtained at diagnosis from patients who did not have clinically overt metastases. Near-diploid tumor stem lines coexisted with hyperdiploid lines in 15 of these 25 cases; an isolated near-diploid line was present in the 26th case. All 26 patients underwent definitive surgery and then were treated uniformly with intensive adjuvant combination chemotherapy.