Treatment


 * [[image:treatment.png width="640" height="160" align="center"]] ||
 * ===As with all cancers, there are many methods available to treat bone cancer. The treatment depends on the type, location, and stage of the cancer. Usually, treatment consists of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is usually administered first, to lessen the size of the tumor and kill off and cells that have started to metastasize. Then surgery is used to remove the main tumor and the bone surrounding it. After the removal of the tumor, bone grafts or metal implants are used to fill the void left. If there are still pockets of cancer, radiation therapy is used to eradicate them. === ||




 * ===**Surgery** is the usual treatment for bone cancer. The surgeon removes the entire tumor with negative margins (no cancer cells are found at the edge or border of the tissue removed during surgery). The surgeon may also use special surgical techniques to minimize the amount of healthy tissue removed with the tumor. Dramatic improvements in surgical techniques and preoperative tumor treatment have made it possible for most patients with bone cancer in an arm or leg to avoid radical surgical procedures (removal of the entire limb). However, most patients who undergo limb-sparing surgery need reconstructive surgery to maximize limb function. ===
 * === The main risks with surgery are infection, recurrence of cancer, and injury to the surrounding tissue.  ===


 * === Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Patients who have bone cancer usually receive a combination of anticancer drugs. However, chemotherapy is not currently used to treat chondrosarcoma. ===
 * === Chemotherapy destroys rapidly dividing cells, causing hair loss, decrease  of blood-forming cells and those that line the digestive system. Other side affects  include nausea and vomiting, infection due to a weakened immune system, and fatigue. ===


 * === **Radiation therapy**, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. This treatment may be used in combination with surgery. It is often used to treat chondrosarcoma, which cannot be treated with chemotherapy, as well as ESFTs. It may also be used for patients who refuse surgery. ===
 * ===The main side effects from radiation therapy include loss of appetite, damage to the surrounding skin and soft tissues, and fatigue. ===
 * === Radiation therapy administered prior to surgery can also increase the risk of wound problems in that area. ===


 * ===**Cryosurgery** is the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill cancer cells. This technique can sometimes be used instead of conventional surgery to destroy the tumor.  ===
 * ===<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">There is currently much work being conducted in each of the afforementioned areas as well as the search for the causes of the cancer. New studies in gene therapy are creating treatments that target specific cancer cells with limited risk to other normal cells, increasing the survival rates of cancer patients. ===