Osteosarcoma: An introduction

This chapter is a broad introduction and overview of the clinical aspects of osteosarcoma. This includes an overview of classical osteosarcoma and its epidemiology, localization, symptoms, and methods of diagnosis. We then discuss details of osteosarcoma staging according to the Enneking's classification. We use the World Health Organization (WHO) nomenclature to discuss the histopathologic features, focusing on microscopy findings, differential diagnosis, and biology of classical osteosarcoma. All three main modalities of treatment are discussed, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation-therapy. We then offer a brief overview of the less common variations of osteosarcoma that may be seen in the clinic. This overview is meant to offer a survey of osteosarcomas and clinical approaches, and serves as an introduction to the other chapters in this book.