Modern methods of early osteosarcoma diagnosis and their impact on treatment effectiveness

Late detection of osteosarcoma with metastases complicates staging, limits treatment tactics, and worsens clinical outcomes; therefore, it is important to determine the practical value of early diagnostic tools. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between modern imaging methods, biopsy results, and treatment effectiveness. Based on a diagnostic cohort analysis, clinical data were reviewed sequentially, and the results of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, chest computed tomography, bone scintigraphy or PET/CT, as well as biopsy, were compared with staging indicators. The combined interpretation of imaging and morphological examination results increased diagnostic accuracy and made it possible to adapt treatment decisions to the clinical stage. Accuracy according to the established diagnostic criteria was 76.2 %; indicators associated with individual examinations were recorded at levels of 42.9 % and 33.3 %. The difference between diagnostic accuracy and treatment effectiveness was assessed at the p<0.001 level, while the other observed statistical thresholds were p<0.05 and p=0.018. The results indicate the need to integrate early imaging, biopsy, and chest examination into a single algorithm. The scientific contribution of the study consists in substantiating the practical relationship between staging and therapeutic decisions in osteosarcoma as a unified diagnostic approach. At the next stage, standardized multicenter follow-up should examine the independent effect of this accuracy on overall and disease-free survival.