[Treatment and prognosis of osteosarcoma in childhood (author's transl)]

126 osteosarcoma under the age of 15 years are followed up in an interclinical study. There is a steady increase of tumor incidence towards the 15th year with a slight male preponderance. The main sites of the tumor are the distal femur followed by the proximal tibia and humerus. Evidence of multiple metastases is most often present in the lungs, less often in the skeleton. Nearly always metastases became evident within 2 1/2 years after diagnosis (98%). Therefore the 2 1/2-year disease--free survival rate seems to be sufficient for prognostic evaluation. The over all 2 1/2-year survival rate was 17,5%. Though the different methods of treatment are not statistically valid, the best results can be expected after early amputation. By radiotherapy alone no cure has been achieved. Survivals were seen at any age and at any site of long bones (distal femur, proximal tibia, humerus, femur, distal radius). Prognosis of osteosarcoma in the childhood is similar to that of the adult group.