A comparison of collagen synthesis by different categories of human chondrosarcoma in organ culture.

Accurate diagnosis of the degree of malignancy of individual chondrosarcomas is a difficult problem for the orthopedist. To determine whether certain biochemical and metabolic parameters might provide a useful supplement to roentgenologic and histologic evaluations, 19 human chondrosarcomas were analyzed for DNA and collagen content, and for 3H-proline incorporation into 3H-hydroxyproline and total protein. When these values were compared by estimated tumor grade (benign, low, or high) and by tissue type (hyaline, fibrous, myxoid, or mixed), collagen content, synthesis, and total protein synthesis appeared to vary inversely with apparent degree of malignancy, suggesting that different levels of transformation may be represented in these tumors. These measurements may provide a useful adjunct to histologic and roentgenologic evaluations to more accurately predict the degree of malignancy and the tendency of individual tumors to metastasize.