Is osteosarcoma cancer curable?
Today, about 3 out of 4 people who have osteosarcoma can be cured if the cancer hasn’t spread to other parts of the body. Almost everyone who is treated with limb-sparing surgery ends up with that arm or leg working well. Many people who have osteosarcoma will need physical therapy for several months after surgery.
Is osteosarcoma always fatal?
Not usually. Though some people will die of bone cancer, many others will make a full recovery. The five-year relative survival rate for bone cancer is 66.8%. This means that 66.8% of people with bone cancer are still alive five years after their diagnosis.
Who is most likely to get osteosarcoma?
The risk of osteosarcoma is highest for those between the ages of 10 and 30, especially during the teenage growth spurt. This suggests there may be a link between rapid bone growth and risk of tumor formation. The risk goes down in middle age, but rises again in older adults (usually over the age of 60).
Is osteosarcoma a terminal?
What are the survival rates for osteosarcoma? If the disease is localized (has not spread to other areas of the body), the long-term survival rate is 70 to 75%. If osteosarcoma has already spread to the lungs or other bones at diagnosis, the long-term survival rate is about 30%.
How painful is an osteosarcoma?
Osteosarcomas can cause pain. If there are tumors in the bones of your arm, for example, it may be painful to lift things. If the tumors are in the bones of your legs, it may cause limping. However, osteosarcomas can also be painless.
What is osteosarcoma?
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. Osteosarcoma is most often found in the long bones — more often the legs, but sometimes the arms — but it can start in any bone. In very rare instances, it occurs in soft tissue outside the bone.
What is it like to live with osteosarcoma?
Living with osteosarcoma isn’t easy. First there’s the pain, swelling, limited movement and, possibly, broken bones. Then there’s the pain of treatment and the lengthy recovery. After that you may have to adjust to a prosthetic limb and/or attend many follow up appointments to check for recurrence.
What are the latest advances in the treatment of osteosarcoma?
Future directions There have been no significant advances in the treatment of the disease over the last 10 plus years, however advancements are slowly being made in the treatment of OS as more is being understood about the pathophysiology of the disease.
What are The racial predilections of osteosarcoma?
Osteosarcoma is slightly more common in African-Americans. Before adolescence, it occurs equally in boys and girls. After adolescence, it occurs slightly more often in boys, possibly because of a longer period of skeletal growth.