By Antin. Surgery is often used to treat bone cancer. After the tumor has been removed, a pathologist examines it to determine if there is normal bone completely surrounding the tumor. If a portion of the cancer is left behind, it can continue to grow and spread, requiring further treatment.

In the past, amputation was common for bone cancer in an arm or leg. Newer techniques have decreased the need for amputation. In many cases, the tumor can be removed with a rim of normal bone without the need for an amputation. Today, advances in surgical techniques and chemotherapy before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) or after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) and radiation therapy make limb-sparing surgery possible in many cases.

In osteosarcoma case, limb-sparing surgery involves replacing the bone cancer with an artificial device (prosthesis) or bone from another part of your body or from another person (transplant). If osteosarcoma spreads, treatment may involve surgical removal of both the bone tumor and the metastasized cancer.

A well-coordinated team of doctors — including surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists who are familiar with treatment of bone cancer — is important for increasing the chance you’ll be able to have limb-sparing treatment. This is the use of various medications used to try to stop the growth of the cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be used prior to surgery to try to shrink the bone tumor to make surgery easier. It can also be used after surgery to try to kill any remaining cancer cells left following surgery.

Ewing’s sarcoma has a risk to metastasize quickly. This type of bone cancer treatment may involve chemotherapy with multiple drugs as well as radiation therapy and surgery to remove the primary tumor.

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