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- Blood and Other Tests
- • Blood tests—including serum chemistry panel, LDH, serum protein electrophoresis , calcium , and acid and
- alkaline phosphatase levels—to aid in differential diagnosis.
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- Imaging
- • X-rays will suggest a diagnosis and the most probable type of bone sarcomas, but soft tissue sarcomas do not
- show up well on regular x-rays.
- • For soft tissue tumors, CT or MRI scans are useful for finding masses and determining their size and
- relationships to surrounding structures.
- • Bone scans may add additional information about the tumor type and extent.
- • Arteriography (x-rays of the tumor blood vessels) can outline tumor margins and help select a perfusion vessel
- for chemotherapy .
- • Chest x-ray or CT to determine spread to lungs.
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- Biopsy
- • Biopsy of the suspected lesion is essential. The type of biopsy procedure used has to take the possible
- surgical treatment into account. Definitive surgery may be done at the same time as the biopsy or later.