How to Treat Chondrosarcoma

Introduction

A chondrosarcoma is the second most common form of bone cancer and comprises one fourth of all bone tumors. It arises from cartilage and has highly varied features and behavior. Chondrosarcomas are classed according to their origination with central chondrosarcomas originating within the intramedullary canal and peripheral chondrosarcomas growing anywhere else. The following steps will show how to treat a chondrosarcoma.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Steps

1

Step One

Perform surgery as the preferred treatment because chondrosarcomas do not respond well to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The surgical options will depend on the tumor's size and if the tumor has grown around blood vessels, joints or nerves. The cure rate for chondrosarcomas is high if it is treated before it metastasizes.

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Step Two

Consider chemotherapy only for difficult cases where the chondrosarcoma has metastasized. Radiation therapy might be considered if the chondrosarcoma recurs after surgery but does not metastasize. Radiation also may be used externally before the operation or internally during the operation.

3

Step Three

Use the patient's own tissue to graft bone. This procedure is termed an autograft and one common form is free vascularized fibular grafting. The fibula and its blood vessels are harvested for material to implant at the site of the removed chondrosarcoma. An autograft has a greater chance of healing and a reduced chance for infection.

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Step Four

Replace the chondrosarcoma with tissue from a tissue bank. This is termed an allograft.

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Step Five

Implant prosthetics as a replacement for the removed sections of bone. This may be an option for some patients because many different sizes of expandable and solid implants are available.