Osteosarcoma common onset age

Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

Updated on April 12, 2025

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Osteosarcoma most commonly occurs in adolescents under the age of 20, or in children, and is a type of malignant tumor. It is the most common malignant bone tumor in children, accounting for about 5% of all malignant tumors in children, making this age group highly susceptible to osteosarcoma. The formation of osteosarcoma is mainly due to external factors such as viral infections and genetic mutations that lead to cell mutations. Osteosarcoma is a typical malignant tumor that destroys bone and surrounding soft tissue, leading to pathological fractures. It can also form distant metastases, thus posing a significant threat.

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Written by Li Jie

Orthopedics

57sec

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Does osteosarcoma hurt when pressed?

Osteosarcoma, also known as osteogenic sarcoma, is a primary malignant tumor of the bone. It ranks second in incidence among bone tumors and has a relatively high incidence and malignancy rate. It is more common in adolescents and occurs more frequently in males than in females. The earliest clinical symptoms of this disease include dull pain and persistent pain that worsens with activity, as well as nighttime pain, which is more pronounced than daytime pain. This is a very important characteristic, indicating that patients experience nighttime pain and rest pain. The affected area may develop a rapidly growing mass that changes significantly in size from month to month. If the tumor grows large, pressing on it can cause pain, but in the early stages when the tumor is not very large, the tenderness may not be very apparent, presenting only as localized spontaneous pain, which requires attention.

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Written by Guan Yu Hua

Orthopedic Surgery

1min 43sec

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What is the basis for the diagnosis of osteosarcoma?

Let's briefly describe osteosarcoma, which is a malignant tumor of the bone, most commonly found in adolescents and young adults, typically occurring near the proximal end of the tibia, the distal end of the femur, or the proximal end of the humerus, mainly growing at the epiphyseal ends. In the early stages, patients show no symptoms, with the most common symptom being pain, usually discovered in the middle to late stages. This pain tends to be persistent and is most pronounced at night. Some patients may also have a local mass. Osteosarcomas are highly prone to early lung metastases. Additionally, the surface skin temperature may increase, veins may become distended, and there may be a presence of cachexia as the disease progresses, leading to severe thinness and weakness in the body. The primary diagnostic basis is radiographic examination, which might show unique signs such as Codman’s triangle under sun-ray exposure, indicative of osteosarcoma. If the radiographic signs are not typical, further differentiation can be done using CT scans or MRI. The most crucial matter is surgical biopsy for a definitive diagnosis, mainly based on the postoperative pathology. Intraoperative measures like cryosurgery can be performed. Upon discovery, limb amputation is generally recommended, although limb-sparing surgeries can be considered, involving techniques like resection followed by reimplantation or prosthetic implantation. Overall, the prognosis is typically poor, but with the rapid advancement in chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate can improve somewhat, generally around 50%.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

38sec

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How long is the latent period of osteosarcoma?

In clinical practice, there is no such thing as a latency period for malignant bone tumors, because these tumors progress very quickly. So, if you experience symptoms such as swelling and pain in the affected limb, if you can feel a mass, and if the pain severely impacts your daily life, you should promptly go to a hospital to get an imaging test done to determine whether a bone tumor is present. Only through imaging and accurate diagnosis can early diagnosis and treatment be achieved, which is the best treatment approach for osteosarcoma. Therefore, in clinical practice, there is no concept of a latency period for malignant bone tumors.

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Written by Li Jie

Orthopedics

1min 9sec

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Symptoms of osteosarcoma recurrence

Osteosarcoma is a relatively common type of malignant bone tumor, ranking second in incidence among malignant bone tumors. Typically, upon the development of osteosarcoma, surgery is required to scrape out the tumor focus, followed by limb-sparing or amputation surgery. Additionally, adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy are employed. Generally, the local area may be maintained for a period, but the disease is prone to recurrence. There may be local recurrence at the site of surgery or distant recurrence, meaning tumor cells might seed and lead to tumors in other locations. Symptoms of both local and distant recurrences are similar to those at the initial onset, generally including significant pain, night pain, and rest pain. There will also be distinct X-ray signs of osteosarcoma in the bone. Furthermore, osteosarcoma may metastasize to the lungs, potentially causing symptoms such as cough, bloody sputum, phlegm, and fever—typical signs of intrapulmonary tumors. These are some of the common symptoms associated with the recurrence of osteosarcoma.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

55sec

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Can osteosarcoma be detected by ultrasound?

Osteosarcomas are generally difficult to diagnose through ultrasound. The diagnosis of osteosarcoma mainly relies on the following methods. The first method is X-rays. X-rays can reveal a typical Codman's triangle appearing in the bone. The second method involves using CT and MRI to detect the extent of the tumor and to see if there is extensive infiltration around it. The third method is nuclear bone scanning. The main significance of nuclear bone scanning is to detect bone tumors early and to distinguish whether there has been any metastasis in the later stages. The fourth method is the gold standard, which is to perform a biopsy. However, this test is invasive, requiring the cutting of tissue from the osteosarcoma for pathological examination. Of course, this method provides the highest accuracy and positive rate.