Chondrosarcoma of bone

Abstract

Chondrosarcoma is a cartilage forming neoplasm, which is the second most common primary malignancy of bone. Clinicians who treat chondrosarcoma patients must determine the grade of the tumor, and must ascertain the likelihood of metastasis. Acral lesions are unlikely to metastasize, regardless of grade, whereas axial, or more proximal lesions are much more likely to metastasize than tumors found in the distal extremities with equivalent histology. Chondrosarcoma is resistant to both chemotherapy and radiation, making wide local excision the only treatment. Local recurrence is frequently seen after intralesional excision, thus wide local excision is sometimes employed despite significant morbidity, even in low-grade lesions. Chondrosarcoma is difficult to treat. The surgeon must balance the risk of significant morbidity with the ability to minimize the chance of local recurrence and maximize the likelihood of long-term survival.