Overview
Chondrosarcoma is a rare cancer that usually starts in bone. It’s a type of sarcoma, which is cancer that starts in bone or soft tissue. Chondrosarcoma is malignant. That means it can grow into nearby tissue and, in some cases, spread to other parts of the body.
Chondrosarcoma most often affects bones of the pelvis, upper leg and upper arm. But it can occur in other bones, including the spine and skull base. Some chondrosarcomas grow slowly and have a low risk of spreading. Others are aggressive and can spread, most often to the lungs.
What chondrosarcoma means for you depends on the type and grade of the cancer, where it is, and whether it has spread. Surgery is the main treatment for most chondrosarcomas that haven't spread. Surgery can cure chondrosarcoma when the entire tumor can be removed. Chemotherapy does not work well for many chondrosarcomas, but it may be used for some aggressive types.
Types
There are several types of chondrosarcomas. The type can affect how quickly the cancer grows, where it occurs, the chance that it will spread and which treatments may kill tumor cells.
- Conventional chondrosarcoma. This is the most common type. It usually develops inside a bone and ranges from low grade to high grade.
- Secondary peripheral chondrosarcoma. This type develops in the cartilage cap that covers an existing noncancerous bone growth. The growth is called an osteochondroma.
- Periosteal chondrosarcoma. This rare type grows on the surface of a bone. It also has been called juxtacortical chondrosarcoma.
- Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. This aggressive type contains an area of cartilage tumor next to a high-grade cancer that no longer looks like cartilage. It has a greater risk of spreading than conventional low-grade chondrosarcoma.
- Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. This very rare, aggressive type tends to occur in children and young adults and can start in bone or, less often, outside bone.
- Clear cell chondrosarcoma. This very rare type is usually low grade and often develops near the ends of the upper arm bone or thigh bone.
A cancer called extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma has "chondrosarcoma" in its name. But it's considered a different type of cancer that usually starts in soft tissue rather than bone.
Chondrosarcoma produces cartilagelike material and is different from osteosarcoma, another type of bone cancer. Chondrosarcoma also is different from enchondroma and osteochondroma, which are noncancerous (benign) cartilage tumors. However, some chondrosarcomas can develop from these tumors.
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Symptoms
Chondrosarcoma symptoms depend on the size and location of the tumor. Pain and swelling near the affected bone are among the most common symptoms.
Common symptoms include:
- Pain that gradually gets worse, sometimes over months or years. The pain may be worse at night.
- A growing lump or swelling.
- A bone that breaks because the tumor has weakened it. This is called a pathologic fracture.
- Weakness or other nerve-related symptoms. These can occur when a spinal tumor presses on the spinal cord.
- A change in how the bowel or bladder works. This can happen when a spinal tumor causes significant pressure on the spinal cord or nearby nerves.
The pelvis is one of the most common places for chondrosarcoma to develop. Chondrosarcomas in the pelvis may be larger, grow outside the bone or have already spread when they are found.
Causes
The exact cause of most chondrosarcomas is not known. Researchers have identified changes in genes and cell-signaling pathways that appear to play a role in how some chondrosarcomas develop and grow.
For example, changes involving the IDH1 and IDH2 genes are found in many central chondrosarcomas. These are changes within tumor cells and do not mean that most people with chondrosarcoma inherited the genes from a parent.
Some chondrosarcomas develop from cartilage tumors. These include enchondromas inside bone and osteochondromas on the surface of bone.
Risk factors
A risk factor is something that increases the chance of developing a condition. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will develop chondrosarcoma.
- Older age. Conventional chondrosarcoma occurs most often in adults older than 50, but it can occur at other ages.
- Ollier disease. This rare condition causes many enchondromas and increases the risk of chondrosarcoma.
- Maffucci syndrome. This rare condition causes many enchondromas along with blood vessel growths and increases the risk of chondrosarcoma.
- Hereditary multiple osteochondromas. This inherited condition causes many osteochondromas. It increases the risk that one of these tumors may develop into secondary peripheral chondrosarcoma.
Complications
Higher grade chondrosarcoma can spread to distant parts of the body. When chondrosarcoma spreads, the lungs are the most common distant site. This spread is called metastasis.
Chondrosarcoma also can come back near the original tumor site after treatment. This is called local recurrence. Local recurrence and spread to distant sites are associated with a less positive outlook, especially in higher grade disease.
Sept. 23, 2026