What are the symptoms of osteosarcoma recurrence?

Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

Updated on May 02, 2025

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The symptoms of recurrent osteosarcoma include the following points:

Firstly, if osteosarcoma recurs, it can cause sudden severe pain in the affected limb. This pain tends to intensify as the disease progresses and may shift from intermittent pain to continuous pain.

Secondly, there might be metastasis to the lungs or other parts of the body. In such cases, if lung metastasis occurs, the patient will experience significant chest tightness and breathing difficulties.

Thirdly, recurrent osteosarcoma can also lead to weight loss, decreased appetite, and the occurrence of low-grade fever.

Fourthly, if the tumor recurs, the patient’s joints and the affected limb's mobility will be significantly hindered, and this can also cause numbness in the affected limb.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

52sec

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Osteosarcoma can exhibit which symptoms?

The symptoms of osteosarcoma, first of all, include pain. The severity of the tumor varies, and so does the accompanying pain. If the tumor significantly damages the bone, causing stimulation to the nerve endings of the periosteum, it will lead to increased pain; Secondly, there is a lump. A lump can be felt on the limb, but this lump also comes with significant tenderness. The growth rate of this lump depends on the condition; Third, there is limping. This limping is also due to limb pain, which causes progressive limping symptoms when walking, and prolonged limping can also lead to joint stiffness and muscle atrophy; Fourth, there are systemic symptoms. Any patient with malignant tumors will experience weight loss, anemia, and multi-organ failure, and may even suffer from pathological fractures.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

1min 3sec

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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.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

56sec

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Postoperative recurrence symptoms of osteosarcoma

Symptoms of recurrent osteosarcoma after surgery are generally consistent with the symptoms before the initial surgery. The main symptoms include: Firstly, localized pain, which is persistent, progressive, and does not alleviate, including pain that worsens at night. Secondly, localized swelling, which usually occurs around the surgical site if limb-sparing surgery was performed, or at the stump if amputation was done. Thirdly, the appearance of systemic cachexia and symptoms of metastasis. Systemic cachexia typically includes weight loss, anemia, fatigue, and loss of appetite. For osteosarcoma, metastasis primarily targets the lungs, where numerous cancerous shadows can be detected. Thus, the main recurrent symptoms of osteosarcoma after surgery include pain, swelling, and cachexia.

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Written by Guan Yu Hua

Orthopedic Surgery

1min 14sec

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During the treatment of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is a highly malignant tumor of the bone, primarily presenting with pain, elevated skin ridges, and bulging veins. Radiological examination often reveals bone abnormalities, such as Codman's triangle and periosteal reactions due to sun exposure. If there is no metastasis in the early stages, limb amputation surgery can be performed, as well as limb-sparing surgeries involving devitalization and reimplantation or prosthetic implantation. Post-operative treatment involves high-dose chemotherapy, which can inhibit the growth of the bone tumor and extend the patient's survival time. There is a high probability of lung metastasis occurring in the early stages of the disease. If metastasis occurs, the survival time may be significantly reduced. Early diagnosis of this disease is crucial, and it must be treated with chemotherapy as early as possible. With the rapid development of chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate for osteosarcoma can increase to over 50%. Thus, early detection, early treatment, early surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy are essential to prolong the patient's survival time.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

32sec

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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.