Gross examination of musculoskeletal sarcomas. Estimation of tumour volume and sampling for unbiased morphometry.

A method for handling and gross examination of specimens from musculoskeletal sarcomas is described. The method, which can be modified to relate to modern, preoperative tumour imaging, allows an accurate estimation of tumour volume and a systematic random sampling for morphometry, which for instance permits the unbiased estimation of tumour necrosis, cellularity and mitotic index. Furthermore, sampling can be performed in such a way that stereological parameters (for the estimation of nuclear size and pleomorphism) based on 'vertical sections' can be measured. The method in no way prohibits routine sampling, for instance from specimen margins and specific areas of interest within the tumour, and with a little practice does not take much extra time.