Osteosarcoma

Treatment

At Mayo Clinic, your treatment team partners with you and your family to create a treatment plan appropriate for your needs. The approach depends on the location and size of
the tumor. Osteosarcoma treatment options include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy

A person with osteosarcoma typically receives a combination of cancer-fighting drugs (chemotherapy), followed by surgery to remove the tumor. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells in an effort to control the spread of cancer and shrink the tumor to make surgery more manageable. After surgery, additional chemotherapy may improve the chances of killing any cancer cells that remain but are not detected by imaging tests.

Surgery

Surgical treatment options for osteosarcoma include techniques such as tumor removal, rebuilding bone tissue, sparing or amputation of an arm or leg, leg rotation and implant placement.

Limb-sparing techniques

Limb-sparing (saving) techniques available at Mayo Clinic may include bone grafts, rotationplasty or implanting artificial (prosthetic) joints.

• Autograft (bone graft from your own tissue). In this procedure, a surgeon implants your own bone tissue at the site where cancerous tissue is removed.
• Allograft (bone graft from donor tissue). Surgeons use bone, tendons and ligaments from a tissue bank to rebuild areas at the site of a tumor.
• Rotationplasty. The surgeon removes the tumor by cutting above and below the knee. The lower portion of the leg is rotated and reattached so that the ankle becomes the knee. You are then fitted with a prosthetic ankle and foot, allowing you to run or walk with near-normal function.
• Prosthetic implant. Surgeons replace sections of bone with artificial expandable and solid implants if, based on your age, you are not expected to have more bone growth in that region.

Amputation

Large tumors or those located in complex regions may require surgery to remove all or part of the arm or leg (amputation).

Radiation therapy

Mayo Clinic cancer specialists (radiation oncologists) are experienced in the full range of radiation treatments. Generally, radiation therapy is used when surgery is impossible or impractical because of the tumor's location or other factors.

Experimental treatments

In addition to standard treatment, some Mayo Clinic patients also may choose to receive experimental therapies through clinical trials. Your treatment team can help determine if you qualify as a clinical trial participant.

Read more about bone tumor treatment at MayoClinic.com.