Chondrosarcoma: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

There are no synonyms of the word Chondrosarcoma.

Chondrosarcoma is a type of cancer that usually occurs in the bones but at times it can occur in the soft tissue near bones. The most common locations where chondrosaroma tumors are found are in the pelvis, hip and shoulder. In extremely rare situations, the base of the skull is affected. In some cases of chondrosarcomas, it grows slowly and if they are removed completely, there is a low risk of spreading to other organs and bones. Surgical removal of the tumor is the most common treatment of chondrosarcoma. Radiation and chemotherapy are not much helpful in the treatment of chondrosarcoma.

The treatment depends mostly upon the location of the disease and how aggressive the tumor is. As this particular disease is rare, their treatment is done only at the specialist hospitals with Sarcoma Centers. The historical treatment of chondrosarcoma has been the complete surgical removal of the tumor. Apart from the other common treatment techniques has been the limb salvage surgery. Amputation is also employed however its use is only occasional. Most of the chondrosarcomas do not respond to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. As a result of this, surgical management becomes crucial. In the situations where skull is in question, proton radiation therapy may be helpful. Recent studies have shown that induction of apoptosis in high grade chondrosarcoma, both directly and by enhancement of response to chemotherapy and radiation, is a valid therapeutic strategy.

The disease typically affects the adult population between the age of 20 to 60 years old. It is more common among men. The treatment is available to all, however, since this is a rare type of cancer, it’s treatment is available only in the Sarcoma Centers.

The treatment is available for one and all since chondrosarcoma is different from other types of cancer. Patients might feel an aching pain which slowly starts to get worse. With physical activity it can be especially bad.

The side effects to chondrosarcoma include pain and swelling in the affected region. There might be an enlargement of an existing growth, followed by a difficulty in moving the limb which is affected. Changes in the urination might also be considered as a side effect of chondrosarcoma.

Patients need to take absolute care of their health and wellbeing. After the treatment which takes place via surgery, proper bed rest should be maintained.

It takes a long while to recover from Chondrosarcoma. The results are not permanent; however the recovery time for the surgery is the normal one ranging from 2 to 4 weeks.

The price of the surgical treatment ranges from 3,00,000 to 8,00,000 INR. The price also varies depending upon the treatment choice the patient is opting for.

The chances of reoccurrence differ depending upon how early the cancer is discovered and treated. Patients usually have a good rate of survival for the low grade volume of cancer. In case of the aggressive grade, only 10% of the patients will survive. Since tumors have a chance of occurring again in the future, the treatment is not permanent. In case of chondrosarcoma, clinical follow ups become important to ensure that there is no recurrence.