Growth characteristics of pulmonary metastases from human sarcomas.

The relationship between volume increases of pulmonary métastases and their doubling time values was studied in patients with osteogenic sarcomas, soft tissue sarcomas, and malignant melanomas. From 60 patients (18 with osteogenic sarcomas, 24 with soft tissue sarcomas, and 18 with malignant melanomas), a total of 197 métastases were measured and 362 doubling time values were calculated. The overall median for doubling time was 32 days. The smaller métastasesgrew significantly faster (median, 26 days) when compared to the growth rate for the larger métastases(median, 47 days). The measured doubling time values seemed to vary similarly among them, since analysis of the growth rate for small métastases from all three types of cancers showed essentially similar values for the median doubling time. The recorded respective median values for doubling time of pulmonary métastaseswere 26 days for osteogenic sarcomas, 26 days for soft tissue sarcomas, and 24 days for malignant melanomas. A similar tendency was observed for larger métastases, in which some what larger differences were found when respective values for the median were compared. Subsequently, the time interval between initial diagnosis and the onset of pulmonary métasta ses and the time lapse from the appearance of métastasesto patient's death were calculated and compared for all three instances studied. The comparison of time intervals from initial diagnosis to the onset of métastases obtained in all three instances revealed differences of duration, but the time interval passing from the appearance of métastasesto patient's death appeared similar for all three types of cancers studied. The presented data indicate that similar growth control mechanisms operated in the pulmonary metastatic growth processes in all three instances reported.