Treatment
Treatment options depend on the type, size, location, and stage of the cancer, as well as the person’s age and general health. Treatment options for bone cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and cryosurgery.
- Surgery is the usual treatment for bone cancer. The surgeon removes the entire tumor with negative margins (the beginning of places where there aren't any cancerous cells present).
- Dramatic improvements in surgical techniques and preoperative tumor treatment have made it possible for most patients with bone cancer in an arm or leg to avoid radical surgical procedures such as removal of the entire limb. However, most patients who undergo limb-sparing surgery need reconstructive surgery to maximize limb function.
- Chemotherapy- use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Patients who have bone cancer usually receive a combination of anticancer drugs. However, chemotherapy is not currently used to treat chondrosarcoma.
- Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy- involves the use of high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. This treatment may be used in combination with surgery. It is often used to treat chondrosarcoma, which cannot be treated with chemotherapy, as well as ESFTs. It may also be used for patients who refuse surgery.
- Cryosurgery- the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill cancer cells. This technique can sometimes be used instead of conventional surgery to destroy the tumor.