Chondrosarcoma

A chondrosarcoma is a particular cancer of the bone. Chondrosarcoma is a cartilage based tumor and is in a category of cancers called sarcomas. Chondrosarcoma is a rare cancer that can affect people (and animals) of any age. The aggressiveness of chondrosarcoma is graded based on how fast it grows and its likelihood to metastasize or spread to other parts of the body. Grade 1 is a low grade (slow growing) cancer, and grades 2 and 3 are higher grades (fast growing) cancers. Depending on the grading system used by your medical facility, it's also possible to have grade 4 which would be even more aggressive than lower grade tumors. The most common bones for chondrosarcoma to grow are the pelvic and shoulder bones along with the superior regions of the arms and legs.  But they can also be found in any bones of the body, even in the base of the skull.

 Nearly all chondrosarcoma patients appear to be in good health. Since it is not like other cancers, it doesn't affect the whole system. Many patients are not aware that there is a tumor growing inside them until there is a noticeable lump or pain. Sometimes a patient has no symptoms and no awareness of any lump and perhaps, by having a test for something else gets diagnosed accidentally. Sometimes an unexpected fracture will be the first indication of a bone tumor.

 Treatment

Because chondrosarcomas are rare, it is important they be treated at specialist hospitals with Sarcoma Centers. Musculoskeletal Tumor Specialists or Orthopedic Oncologists are the most qualified to treat chondrosarcoma, unless it is located in the skull, spine, or chest cavity, in which case, a Neurosurgeon or Thoracic surgeon experienced with sarcomas would be needed.

Surgery is the main form of treatment for chondrosarcoma. Chemotherapy or traditional radiotherapy are not very effective for most chondrosarcomas although proton therapy is showing promise with local tumor control at over 80%. Treatment depends on the location of the disease and the aggressiveness of the tumors. Often, a limb-sparing operation can be performed, however in some cases amputation is unavoidable. Amputation of the arm, leg, jaw, or half of the pelvis (called a hemipelvectomy) may be necessary in some cases.

Because chondrosarcoma affects different parts of the body, the type of treatment depends on the size, location, and grade of the tumor. A doctor with experience treating chondrosarcoma in the area the patient has the tumor is very important for successful treatment.

Chondrosarcoma is considered to be a rare form of bone cancer. Even more rare are chondrosarcoma located in the skull base, spine, rib cage, or larynx. Complete surgical ablation is the treatment, but sometimes this is difficult. Proton therapy Radiation can be useful in these rare locations to make surgery more effective. Follow up scans are extremely important for chondrosarcoma to make sure there has been no recurrence or metastasis, which usually occurs in the lungs. Unlike other cancers, chondrosarcoma can return many years later.

There are some excellent links and references for patients or families wondering about chondrosarcoma - many of the references listed here are run by other chondrosarcoma patients, family members and survivors. If you've been diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, you should seek out specialists in orthopedic oncology - this is a specialty within the orthopedic surgery profession. You will be able to find orthopedic oncology specialists at "comprehensive cancer centers" around the United States & Canada.