A case-control study of osteosarcoma in young persons.

A study of 64 cases and 124 friend and neighbor controls was conducted to identify factors associated with the occurrence of osteosarcoma in young persons. Two types of information were collected: questionnaire data from telephone interviews with mothers, and data on height since birth from family, physician, and school records. Cases were not taller at the time of diagnosis than controls, nor were growth rates higher--either overall or during the 3-4 years prior to diagnosis. An excess risk, however, was observed among subjects whose birth length was at or below the 25th percentile, based on national standards. An excess risk was also found among subjects born more than one week early, but the positive association with short birth length remained when duration of pregnancy was taken into account. Positive associations were also found for prior trauma to the tumor site; congenital skeletal defects or other treated bone conditions; fetal x-ray; and maternal employment during pregnancy in manufacturing industries.