Is osteosarcoma serious?

Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
Updated on September 03, 2024
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Osteosarcoma is a fairly serious condition. It is a type of malignant bone tumor and is classified as stage II according to the Eric staging system. Regardless of the treatment method used for osteosarcoma, the first issue is that it metastasizes quickly, and the second is that it tends to recur frequently. Therefore, once someone has osteosarcoma, it poses significant challenges, not only being difficult to treat but also involving considerable treatment costs. However, thanks to the efforts of researchers, a new adjuvant chemotherapy has been developed which has increased the five-year survival rate of osteosarcoma from 47% to about 80%, which is quite remarkable. Moreover, with this new adjuvant chemotherapy, patients first undergo chemotherapy, followed by surgery, during which chemotherapy is administered again, not only improving the five-year survival rate but also enhancing the quality of life for patients. Therefore, osteosarcoma is a very serious disease. In the past, amputation was common, followed by distal metastasis, so it didn't take long for metastases to appear in the lungs or brain. Thus, osteosarcoma is an extremely serious disease.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
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Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer.

Osteosarcoma is a relatively common type of malignant bone tumor in clinical practice. It mainly occurs near the ends of the humerus, including the area around the head of the humerus, and at the distal end of the femur, near the femoral condyles, as well as the proximal tibia, close to the tibial plateau. These are its common sites. It predominantly affects teenagers, generally those under 18 years of age. The main symptoms include: firstly, persistent and worsening pain that gradually intensifies and does not alleviate, with the notable characteristic being that the pain is more severe at night than during the day; secondly, the appearance of spindle-shaped tumors around the joints, particularly at the three aforementioned common sites, often accompanied by redness, warmth, pain in the superficial skin, and even prominent superficial veins; thirdly, osteosarcoma is a type of malignant tumor, classified as grade 2B among malignant tumors. Its main feature, apart from local symptoms, is its propensity for metastasis, with the lungs being the most likely site of metastasis.

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Written by Guan Jing Tao
Orthopedics
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Can hot compresses relieve pain for osteosarcoma?

Osteosarcoma has very limited pain relief effects through simple or pure hot compresses. As the lesion progresses, hot compresses can become completely ineffective or have very unclear effects. Clinical manifestations include pain and swelling, with local formation of lumps or tumor-like appearances. It can also affect the joint mobility around it, and even cause atrophy of limbs and muscles. In terms of treatment, it still relies on early surgical excision, but the prognosis is still not very optimistic.

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Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
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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.

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Written by Guan Yu Hua
Orthopedic Surgery
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What does osteosarcoma feel like to the touch?

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor that consumes bone and typically shows no symptoms in its early stages. By the time symptoms are recognized, it is usually in the mid to late stages. There might be localized masses; upon discovery of such masses, a visit to the hospital for diagnostic imaging is needed. Radiological examinations reveal characteristic signs such as sunburst appearance and Codman's triangle on X-rays. Further investigation with MRI or CT scans is necessary, followed by a biopsy for confirmation. During physical examination for this type of osteosarcoma, a localized mass may be found typically around the proximal tibia or distal femur, mainly around the metaphyseal ends. The mass may be accompanied by localized heat and pain, with nocturnal pain being more pronounced. Additionally, patients might show varying degrees of weight loss. Generally, osteosarcoma can be diagnosed through physical examination and radiological findings, followed by a confirmatory biopsy. Early stages require surgical intervention. Furthermore, osteosarcomas have a high rate of early pulmonary metastasis. Using extensive chemotherapy can improve patient survival time. With rapid advancements in chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate can reach about 50%.

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Can osteosarcoma be treated with moxibustion?

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor of the bone, and the treatment effect of moxibustion is not very good. This disease develops quite rapidly, mostly occurring at the proximal end of the tibia, the distal end of the femur, the proximal end of the humerus, among others, typically at the metaphyseal ends. Clinically, the main symptoms include persistent pain, which becomes more pronounced at night, along with local swelling, restricted movement, increased local surface skin temperature, some may show prominent veins, and patients often appear emaciated, severely looking cachectic as the disease progresses with noticeable symptoms. Radiographic examination can reveal Codman's triangle or sunburst patterns. Early detection necessitates early treatment, including surgery such as inactivation reimplantation or prosthesis implantation to sustain operation. Additionally, amputation followed by extensive chemotherapy can effectively improve the patient’s survival time. Osteosarcoma has a high chance of early pulmonary metastasis, requiring systematic treatment at a hospital. Solely using moxibustion is not very effective and has limited usefulness, but it could still be worth a try if there are no better options available.