Calcium Absorption in Patients With Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Because cure rates for osteosarcoma have remained stagnant for the past several decades despite numerous trials of chemotherapy agents, novel therapies based on the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of osteosarcoma are needed. Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome (RTS) is a genetic disorder affecting many parts of the body and resulting in major skeletal abnormalities. This disease also has the propensity to increase the risk of developing cancer, particularly osteosarcoma. Two-thirds of RTS patients have a high risk of developing osteosarcoma. Therefore, it is important to understand the impact of RTS on the skeletal phenotype (as measured by bone density) in order to develop effective therapies to battle osteosarcoma.