Correlation between prognostic factors and blood variables in osteosarcoma.

Prognostic factors and the blood chemistry were analyzed prior to treatment in 33 consecutive patients with primary osteosarcoma. The only variables of blood chemistry with values outside the normal range were alkaline phosphatase and ESR, which were increased. There was a correlation between certain prognostic factors and between some of these and a number of the blood variables. The degree of malignancy tended to be lower in the female than in the male patients. Distally located tumors tended to be smaller and were assessed with a less marked effect on the blood variables than those located proximally.