Can late-stage osteosarcoma be cured?

Written by Guan Yu Hua
Orthopedic Surgery
Updated on March 24, 2025
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For osteosarcoma in its late stages, it often metastasizes to other organs, with the majority of cases involving lung metastasis. In such cases, conservative treatment can be applied. However, if surgery is an option, it is the best approach as it can be complemented with postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy to extend the patient’s survival time. If there is distant metastasis and the body is in poor condition, unable to withstand surgery, then only conservative treatment and nutritional support are viable, along with the use of painkillers. In late stages, when the patient cannot tolerate surgery, only conservative treatment is available with no other alternatives. Typically, the conditions are divided into three stages. By stage three, there is usually lung metastasis. This stage often involves T which signifies intracompartmental or extracompartmental growth—T2 indicating extracompartmental, typically a marker of an aggressive tumor. Then M represents metastasis, with 0 for none and 1 for presence. So, in cases where distant metastasis occurs, it generally corresponds to stage three, phase B, which involves extracompartmental invasive metastasis. In such cases, even surgery provides poor outcomes. Early detection and treatment are best. If it progresses to later or final stages, treatment is often deemed unnecessary, limited to conservative management, as surgical outcomes are poor, and metastasis may occur elsewhere.

Other Voices

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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What tests are done to diagnose osteosarcoma?

The most accurate diagnostic method for osteosarcoma is biopsy, where live tissue is extracted and sent for pathological examination. The positive rate of this method can reach over 90%. Besides biopsy, there are several other methods to examine such conditions. For example, X-rays can be taken to observe significant damage to the bone structure. Secondly, CT scans and MRI can be used to determine whether the bone tumor has infiltrated surrounding tissues. MRI can also detect if there are metastases to organs outside the lungs. The third method is radionuclide bone scanning, which primarily aims to check for distant metastases of osteosarcoma.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
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What is osteosarcoma?

Firstly, osteosarcoma is a common type of malignant tumor, characterized by a mechanism that produces bone-like tissue. It has multiple subtypes and can also develop into a secondary osteosarcoma. Secondly, it commonly occurs in adolescents. Thirdly, it typically affects the proximal femur, distal tibia, and proximal humerus. Fourthly, common osteosarcomas are generally spindle-shaped, often located near joints. The surface may have elevated skin temperature and sometimes superficial vein distension is apparent. It often involves the entire bone, including the periosteum, cortical bone, and bone cavity. Generally, the tumor appears as a very fine greyish-white or brownish-red fish-flesh-like change. Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor and is particularly prone to lung metastasis. According to tumor staging, it is at least stage IIB, indicating that it should be detected, diagnosed, and treated early. The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome and the higher the five-year survival rate.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
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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 Guan Jing Tao
Orthopedics
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Can patients with osteosarcoma have children?

Whether osteosarcoma patients can have children requires comprehensive consideration. One factor is that the patient's age should not be too old. Additionally, one must consider the individual's response after surgery and subsequent performance after treatment. Besides, regular check-ups should be conducted, and attempts to conceive can be made if there is no obvious abnormality or other pathological changes in the body. However, it is essential to conduct regular follow-ups and be mentally prepared. The possibility of various problems during pregnancy should not be ruled out, such as a decrease in immune response, which could trigger a recurrence of the bone tumor or other conditions, potentially leading to health issues for the child or the mother. Thus, a comprehensive and thorough evaluation is necessary.

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Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
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The difference between sarcoma and osteosarcoma

The relationship between sarcoma and osteosarcoma is very simple; it is a relationship of containment where sarcoma includes osteosarcoma. Simply put, the concept of sarcoma is broader, and osteosarcoma is a subtype under it. Sarcoma itself also includes malignant tumors occurring in blood vessels, fat, nerves, and muscles, such as angiosarcoma, liposarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma, and, of course, osteosarcoma. However, both sarcoma and osteosarcoma are malignant tumors, and it's important to clarify this concept. Moreover, osteosarcoma is more common in young people.