During the past few years, scientists and health care workers have made great strides in the field of orthopedic oncology. The photomicrograph below illustrates a stained thin section of human bone sarcoma visualized with the aid of phase contrast microscopy.

Much of the work has been done in the areas of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, with osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and giant cell tumors being areas of primary focus. These cancers, which primarily afflict children and adolescents, are treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and orthopedic surgery. The beautiful patterns displayed by micrographs of cancer thin sections are in direct contrast to the devastation produced by this often deadly disease.

Cancer is a widespread, deadly disease in which certain body cells multiply without apparent control, destroying healthy tissue and organs. It occurs in most species of animals and plants, as well as humans. There are more than 100 identifiable forms of cancer and they can affect all ages and any part of the body.

Cancers come in three forms; leukemias and lymphomas, which affect the blood stream and the lymph system; sarcomas, which affect the connective tissue, such as cartilage, muscle, or bone; and carcinoma, which affects the epithelial tissue that forms the skin and the linings of the internal organs.

BACK TO THE PHASE CONTRAST GALLERY

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