The effect of biopsy on survival of patients with osteosarcoma

Description: A retrospective study of patients with osteosarcoma was undertaken to determine whether there was a relationship between biopsy and survival. Twenty-four of the fifty-seven patients had an amputation without a prior biopsy; the others had biopsies before amputation. These two groups were fairly closely matched in age, sex, site and size of tumour, and in the level of amputation; some patients in each group received radiation before operation. Evaluation of these two groups of patients revealed that the performance of a biopsy, with or without a delay of not more than thirty days between the biopsy and the definitive operation, had no adverse effect on survival.
The effect of biopsy on survival of patients with osteosarcoma. Broström LA, Harris MA, Simon MA, Cooperman DR, Nilsonne U. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1979 May;61-B(2):209-12.