Is osteosarcoma bone cancer?

Written by Dai Ru

Orthopedics

Updated on January 15, 2025

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Osteosarcoma is a type of malignant tumor that originates from the bone. Bone cancer is a common term used by people to refer to bone tumors. The terms cancer and sarcoma are different mainly because of their different origins. Cancer primarily originates from epithelial tissue, such as liver cancer, lung cancer, etc. Because bones consist of mesenchymal cells, malignant tumors of the bone are called osteosarcomas, not bone cancer. Osteosarcomas commonly occur in children and adolescents and are a highly malignant type of bone tumor that require prompt treatment once diagnosed.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

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Will osteosarcoma cause the skin to turn red?

Patients with osteosarcoma will not have red skin. The early symptoms of osteosarcoma are generally not obvious, primarily involving localized swelling, with pain around the joints leading to limited joint mobility. As the condition progresses, this pain may shift from intermittent to constant, and the severity of the pain will increase as the disease worsens. The second patient will exhibit a noticeable lump that can be felt; this lump is usually accompanied by significant tenderness. The third symptom is intermittent limping, caused by pain from the tumor during walking, which prevents the patient from bearing weight for extended periods. The fourth aspect involves systemic symptoms common to patients with tumors, such as anemia, mild fever, and even pathological fractures.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

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The common sites of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma commonly occurs in the long tubular bones of the limbs, such as the femur, tibia, and humerus, especially near the joints of these long bones where the incidence is highest. In children, the distal femur and proximal tibia account for about three-quarters of all bone tumors. Osteosarcoma can also occur in the proximal humerus, the spine, and the ribs, although it is less common in these locations. The most frequent sites remain the long tubular bones in the limbs.

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Written by Li Xin

Pediatric Orthopedics

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osteosarcoma X-ray presentation

The variations in the X-ray appearance of osteosarcoma are quite large, but the basic characteristics are a mix of osteolytic destruction and pure bony changes. In most cases, besides the mixed changes, there is also destruction of the bone cortex and invasion of soft tissues, with visible periosteal reaction. The epiphysis has a certain blocking effect on the tumor, hence it rarely crosses the epiphyseal line. On the X-ray, changes indicative of skip metastasis can be seen, along with typical Codman's triangle or sunburst patterns. Beneath the periosteum, there are fine, needle-like sunburst radiating changes, which are fairly typical radiographic changes of osteosarcoma and are generally used to diagnose the condition.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

48sec

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early symptoms of osteosarcoma

The early symptoms of osteosarcoma mainly include the following types: First, pain - patients will experience obvious pain in the affected limb. Second, lumps - lumps can be felt on the affected limb, accompanying significant tenderness. The growth rate of such lumps is directly related to your pathology and the course of your disease; the more severe your condition, the larger the lump. Third, limping - limping is caused by chronic pain in the affected limb. Over time, there may also be limited joint mobility and muscle atrophy in the affected limb. Fourth, symptoms such as fever, weight loss, and anemia may occur. Furthermore, in the middle and late stages of osteosarcoma, pathological fractures might occur.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

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Is osteosarcoma serious?

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.