Osteosarcoma Treatment: Getting a Second Opinion
Sometimes it is helpful to have a second opinion about the diagnosis and the
osteosarcoma treatment plan. While some insurance companies require a second opinion, others may cover a second opinion if the patient or doctor requests it.
Options for Osteosarcoma Treatment
The doctor is the best person to describe the osteosarcoma treatment choices and to explain the expected results of each treatment. The doctor and patient should work together to develop an osteosarcoma treatment plan that fits the patient's needs.
Depending on the type and extent of osteosarcoma, treatment may include:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- A combination of these methods.
Osteosarcoma Surgery
If possible, most patients with localized osteosarcoma should have surgery to remove the tumor. The doctor may remove only the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around the cancer (limb-sparing surgery) or the doctor may remove all or part of an arm or leg (amputation) to make sure that all of the cancer is removed. If cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the lymph nodes will also need to be removed (lymph node dissection).
In patients with osteosarcoma that has not spread beyond the bone, researchers have not found a difference in overall survival between patients who have limb-sparing
bone cancer surgery and those who have
bone cancer surgery with amputation. When the cancer can be taken out without amputation, artificial devices or bones from other places in the body can be used to replace the bone that was removed.
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