How to prevent osteosarcoma

Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
Updated on May 25, 2025
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From the perspective of osteosarcoma itself, prevention should involve active exercise, a healthy lifestyle, and a regular schedule. All of these can play a preventive role. However, as of now, there is no clear cause of what triggers osteosarcoma, and it is still unknown. For patients with osteosarcoma, we need to achieve early diagnosis and early treatment. Since many osteosarcomas occur in adolescents, if your child complains of bone pain and feels lumps, and more severely, experiences joint functional impairment, parents must be vigilant. It is advised for the patient to go to a hospital and have an imaging test done to confirm if it is caused by osteosarcoma. Therefore, early diagnosis and early treatment are best.

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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 Guan Yu Hua
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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 Guan Jing Tao
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How to alleviate the pain of osteosarcoma?

Pain in osteosarcoma patients is mostly caused by the cancer invading local bone tissue and other tissues, leading to pain, tenderness, and even sleeplessness. Therefore, the pain management follows a certain hierarchy, starting with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, followed by weak opioids, and finally strong opioids such as morphine. However, this only alleviates the pain and does not help with treatment. For early-stage osteosarcoma patients, pain management primarily involves surgery when necessary. For advanced-stage patients, it involves gradually increasing the dose of effective pain-relief medications to alleviate temporary pain. (Controlled drugs must be strictly used under the supervision of relevant physicians.)

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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Osteosarcoma common onset age

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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Characteristics of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor of the bone that primarily occurs in adolescents and young adults, commonly found at the metaphyseal ends of long bones. For example, it may occur at the distal end of the tibia, the distal end of the femur, or the metaphyseal end of the humerus. Clinically, the main symptom is pain, which is persistent and more noticeable at night, accompanied by a local mass, limited movement, increased local skin temperature, distended veins, and general symptoms such as weight loss and even cachexia. Some patients may experience pathological fractures. Often, there are no symptoms in the early stages, and by the time it is detected, it is usually in an intermediate or advanced stage. Radiographic examination typically shows a Codman's triangle or sunburst pattern. Early detection and treatment are crucial. The usual treatment choice is surgical, such as deactivation and reimplantation, or limb-salvage surgery with prosthetic implantation. Additionally, amputation followed by extensive chemotherapy is another option. With recent advances in chemotherapy, there has been significant improvement in life extension.