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Osteosarcoma
The difference between sarcoma and osteosarcoma
The relationship between sarcoma and osteosarcoma is very simple; it is a relationship of containment where sarcoma includes osteosarcoma. Simply put, the concept of sarcoma is broader, and osteosarcoma is a subtype under it. Sarcoma itself also includes malignant tumors occurring in blood vessels, fat, nerves, and muscles, such as angiosarcoma, liposarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma, and, of course, osteosarcoma. However, both sarcoma and osteosarcoma are malignant tumors, and it's important to clarify this concept. Moreover, osteosarcoma is more common in young people.
Is osteosarcoma treatable?
Osteosarcoma is not about whether it can be treated, but it must be treated. Moreover, the earlier the treatment, the higher the five-year survival rate. Currently, the treatment for osteosarcoma still primarily involves comprehensive therapy centered around surgery. With the advent of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate for osteosarcoma has significantly increased. Specifically, once osteosarcoma is diagnosed, extensive chemotherapy is administered before surgery. After chemotherapy, depending on the extent of tumor invasion, either radical segmental resection, limb-sparing surgery, or amputation is considered. Postoperative treatment also requires continued high-dose chemotherapy. In fact, if osteosarcoma is not treated, it metastasizes very quickly, primarily to the lungs. However, if the treatment is very early, timely, and correct, the current five-year survival rate has reached about 80%. Therefore, osteosarcoma can be treated, and the earlier the treatment, the better the outcomes.
What is osteosarcoma?
Firstly, osteosarcoma is a common type of malignant tumor, characterized by a mechanism that produces bone-like tissue. It has multiple subtypes and can also develop into a secondary osteosarcoma. Secondly, it commonly occurs in adolescents. Thirdly, it typically affects the proximal femur, distal tibia, and proximal humerus. Fourthly, common osteosarcomas are generally spindle-shaped, often located near joints. The surface may have elevated skin temperature and sometimes superficial vein distension is apparent. It often involves the entire bone, including the periosteum, cortical bone, and bone cavity. Generally, the tumor appears as a very fine greyish-white or brownish-red fish-flesh-like change. Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor and is particularly prone to lung metastasis. According to tumor staging, it is at least stage IIB, indicating that it should be detected, diagnosed, and treated early. The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome and the higher the five-year survival rate.
Is osteosarcoma highly malignant?
First of all, it is certain that osteosarcoma is very malignant. Once osteosarcoma is detected, it is necessary to actively prepare for surgery, rule out surgical contraindications, and then proceed with surgical treatment. During the surgery, efforts should be made to perform an extended resection, and if necessary, amputation may be required. After the surgery, the excised specimen must be sent for pathological examination to determine the pathological type. Then, based on the examination results, effective radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be chosen to control the possibility of recurrence or metastasis of osteosarcoma and to extend the patient's life as much as possible.
What are the symptoms of osteosarcoma?
The main symptom of osteosarcoma is localized pain, primarily at the distal end of the femur, the proximal end of the tibia, and the proximal end of the humerus. This pain tends to worsen continuously, with nighttime pain often more severe than during the day, which is a significant characteristic of osteosarcoma. The second symptom is the presence of a local mass, which is often spindle-shaped and generally located near a joint. This mass often leads to limited joint mobility, and the skin over the mass typically has a high temperature. Sometimes, it may also be accompanied by visible swelling of superficial veins. The third symptom involves systemic cachexia, which includes unexplained weight loss, generalized weakness, and even an anemic condition. The fourth point pertains to osteolytic osteosarcoma, which often leads to bone destruction, reduced bone strength, and consequently, even minor external forces can cause fractures. These are called pathological fractures. Thus, the symptoms of osteosarcoma generally include these four points.
Is chondrosarcoma cancer?
Chondrosarcoma is broadly cancer, but in medical terms, we wouldn’t necessarily phrase it that way; we simply describe chondrosarcoma as a type of malignant tumor, and currently, its treatment outcomes are not very good. Generally, when we talk about cancer, we’re referring to malignant tumors that originate from epithelial tissue, including cancers like stomach cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer, which all derive from epithelial tissues. However, because chondrosarcoma originates from mesenchymal tissue, which includes muscle, cartilage, blood vessels, and nerves, malignant tumors that occur in these areas are usually called sarcomas. Sarcomas are definitely malignant, but to strictly call them cancer is not particularly precise.
Osteosarcoma is malignant.
Regarding whether osteosarcoma is benign or malignant, it is certain that osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor with a very high degree of malignancy. Once osteosarcoma is definitively diagnosed, aggressive treatment is necessary. Surgery is the main treatment approach, aiming to perform as extensive a resection as possible, or amputation may be required when necessary. After surgery, the resected specimen must be sent for pathological examination. Based on the type of pathology, the next step in treatment, either radiotherapy or chemotherapy, will be determined to minimize the recurrence of osteosarcoma, as a recurrence can endanger the patient's life.
Can osteosarcoma occur on the knee?
Can osteosarcomas grow on the knee? In fact, the locations where osteosarcomas commonly appear are indeed near the knee. There are mainly three common sites: the most prevalent is the distal end of the femur, the lower part of the thigh bone. The second most common site is the proximal end of the tibia. The third is the proximal end of the humerus. Therefore, osteosarcomas usually do grow near the knee. What are the symptoms of an osteosarcoma? The symptoms of osteosarcoma include, first, localized pain, which is a constant pain that persists, worsens, and does not alleviate, often causing night pain, and many patients do not feel pain during the day, only at night. The second symptom is a localized lump, generally spindle-shaped, with an increased skin temperature over the surface, and even distended veins due to the tumor restricting nearby joint movement. The third symptom is the appearance of cachexia or wasting syndrome throughout the body. The fourth point is that the growth of the osteosarcoma leads to erosion of the bone and eventually pathologic fractures. Thus, the likelihood of osteosarcomas appearing near the knee is very high, and many patients typically come to the hospital because of painful lumps near the knee, and then, after examination, the diagnosis is confirmed.
Is there a cure for osteosarcoma?
Osteosarcoma is treatable, but it requires proper medical treatment. Currently, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improves the five-year survival rate for osteosarcoma. The main treatment approach is still surgery as part of a comprehensive therapy. Specifically, the first step involves adequate preoperative chemotherapy, generally no fewer than six sessions over about eight weeks, or approximately two months. After this, patients often experience reduced pain, weight gain, improved positioning of the tumor, and a decrease in tumor size. Depending on the specific situation, a decision is made on the type of surgery to be performed—whether to amputate, preserve the limb, install a prosthetic, or use artificial bone as a replacement. Postoperative chemotherapy is usually also required to help ensure that the tumor does not recur and to increase the five-year or ten-year survival rate. Therefore, the current five-year survival rate for osteosarcoma has increased from the previous 40%-50% to about 80%. So, as long as one chooses the right hospital and the right treatment plan, and maintains confidence, osteosarcoma is usually treatable.
Symptoms of osteosarcoma
The common symptoms of osteosarcoma include, first, pain which is often persistent, typically occurring at the distal femur, proximal tibia, and proximal humerus. The characteristic of this pain is that it worsens at night, more severe than during the day. Second, there is local swelling usually near joints, particularly at the three aforementioned common sites. The skin over the swelling often becomes warm and may even show redness, and some patients may have dilated surface veins. The swelling can frequently cause dysfunction of nearby joints, or restricted function. Third, systemic symptoms primarily include a persistent wasting syndrome, known as cachexia. Fourth, osteosarcomas can weaken the bone's load-bearing capacity and strength following cortical bone involvement, eventually leading to pathological fractures. Therefore, the main symptoms of osteosarcoma are localized pain, local swellings, systemic manifestations of cachexia, or pathological fractures.