Prognostic value of DNA ploidy response to chemotherapy in human osteosarcomas

We analyzed the DNA ploidy alterations after preoperative chemotherapy in 30 patients with non-metastatic osteosarcomas of the extremities. All of the patients received intensive chemotherapy with doxorubicin, cisplatin and methotrexate as well as wide tumor resection. DNA ploidy was determined by DNA cytofluorometry using isolated and smeared cells from biopsied and resected tumors after preoperative chemotherapy. The results showed that 12 diploid and nine non-diploid osteosarcomas did not change their ploidy pattern, but nine non-diploid tumors changed to a diploid pattern with the disappearance of the aneuploid cells. The nine patients with altered ploidy tumors had a better histologic response to chemotherapy and a better prognosis than the patients with non-altered tumors especially diploid tumors (P = 0.0138). Therefore, we conclude that a decrease in aneuploid cells after chemotherapy is closely correlated with a good prognosis in half of the cases of aneuploid osteosarcoma. These results also suggest that aneuploid cells are more chemosensitive than diploid cells in human osteosarcomas.