[The role of the pathologist in the treatment of osteogenic sarcoma]

The pathologist today has an important role in the treatment of osteosarcoma. He contributes during the operation by advising about the extent of the tumour and after the operation by studying the operative specimen to assess the extent of the tumour, and, when primary chemotherapy has been used, to estimate the effectiveness of the treatment by counting the percentage of viable tumour cells so that the type of chemotherapy used subsequently can be adapted to the situation. Only trained teams can make the best use of these studies.