How Is Osteosarcoma Treated?

Your stage of osteosarcoma and your overall health will determine the method your doctor recommends for treating your illness. The mains ways of attacking osteosarcoma are surgery and chemotherapy (drugs). Radiation therapy is used in relatively few cases.

Your doctor will work with you to choose the best treatment for your osteosarcoma based on:

• Your age, overall health, and medical history
• Extent of the disease
• Grade and stage of the cancer
• Your tolerance of specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the disease
• Your opinion or preference

All treatments have benefits and risks. You and your doctor should carefully balance the potential benefits of any cancer treatment with its potential risks.

After the osteosarcoma is diagnosed and staged, your physician will recommend a treatment plan.

Treatment may include:

• Surgery - The main types of surgery for osteosarcomas that start in the arms or legs are surgery to remove the cancer without removing the arm or leg (limb-salvage surgery) and amputation. However, certain osteosarcomas cannot be removed by surgery because of where they are located (such as at the base of the skull or in the spine or pelvis).
• Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy drugs kill cancerous cells. In most cases, chemotherapy works by stopping cancer cells from growing or reproducing, which kills the cells. Different types of chemotherapy drugs work in different ways. Most cases of osteosarcoma are treated with chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumor and after surgery to kill any cancer cells left in the body. For osteosarcoma, two or three drugs are usually given together.
• Radiation therapy - Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Both internal and external radiation therapies are sometimes used to treat osteosarcoma; however, most patients with osteosarcoma are not treated with radiation therapy.