Actual volume doubling time values for pulmonary metastases from soft tissue sarcomas.

Doubling time values of pulmonary metastases from soft tissue sarcomas were measured. Sixty metastases from 24 patients were measured 79 consecutive times, and, the values for 116 doubling times were calculated. Small volume metastases grew significantly faster (arithmetic mean 29.7 days) than large metastases (arithmetic mean 43.4 days). An assessment with comparative data obtained previously by measuring the doubling time values of pulmonary metastases from osteogenic sarcoma revealed similar growth characteristics. The possible involvment of identical control mechanisms operating in the growth process of pulmonary metastases in both soft tissues and osteogenic sarcomas are discussed.