Chondrosarcoma Therapy

All information given here is only of a general nature, tumor therapy always belongs in the hands of an experienced oncologist!

therapy

Because the chondrosarcoma is low radiotherapy or chemotherapy responds, surgical removal of the tumor is the most important therapeutic goal.

The therapeutic approach - curative (healing) or palliative (relieving discomfort) - results from the stage of the tumor disease.

If the prognosis is favorable, as the tumor is easily accessible and there are no metastases, a curative therapeutic approach is given. Life support has the highest priority. In many cases, the arms and legs can be preserved, but if in doubt, a more radical surgical method will be chosen (even if this leads to impairments) if it can increase the likelihood of survival.

In the case of an unfavorable prognosis (distant metastases), tumor location on the trunk and / or inoperable primary tumor, usually only palliative (symptom-relieving) therapy is indicated or possible. The focus is on maintaining quality of life (pain relief, functional maintenance).

Whether surgical therapy is used depends on all available information, prognosis, wishes of the patient, physical and mental condition and many other factors.

Non-operative (adjuvant) therapy:

• radiotherapy
  Chondrosarcomas are hardly sensitive to radiation. Radiotherapy should therefore only be considered in individual cases in the event of inoperability, residual tumor and a palliative therapeutic approach.
• chemotherapy
  The effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy has not yet been proven with certainty.
  The faster the tumor grows, the sooner an effect can be expected from tumor therapy. However, scientific proof of its effectiveness is still pending.

Tumor aftercare

Recommendations:

• In year 1 and 2: every 3 months clinical examination, local X-ray control, laboratory, chest CT, whole-body skeletal scintigraphy, every 6 months local MRI
• In years 3 to 5: every 6 months clinical examination, local X-ray control, laboratory, chest CT, whole-body skeletal scintigraphy, local MRI every 12 months
• From year 6: every 12 months clinical examination, local X-ray control, laboratory, chest X-ray, in case of doubt whole-body skeletal scintigraphy and local MRI

forecast

The prognosis depends on the degree of tissue differentiation and the possibility of radical surgery. If the degree of differentiation is high and "radical" surgery is possible, the probability of survival for 5 years is approx. 90%.
A renewed tumor growth can still occur after more than 10 years.