Dr. Francisco Bengoa
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Bone tumors

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma

BoneMalignant / sarcomaChondrogenic tumours

Epidemiology

A high-grade subtype, more common in older adults, that can arise on top of a low-grade chondrosarcoma. The appearance of a high-grade area within a cartilaginous lesion radically changes the prognosis and the treatment.

Basic features

It combines a cartilage component and an aggressive sarcomatous component, with progressive pain and bone destruction.

Usual treatment

It requires wide resection when possible and systemic evaluation; chemotherapy is considered depending on the high-grade component. Before chemotherapy starts it is worth discussing fertility preservation with the team, because some of these treatments can affect it and the options have to be raised beforehand.

Outcomes and prognosis

The high-grade component determines the prognosis: it carries a high risk of metastasis (mainly to the lungs) and of local recurrence, with an unfavorable course, so it demands complete staging and close follow-up.

Warning signs

These signs do not necessarily mean cancer, but they warrant evaluation before operating on or needling a mass.

  • A soft-tissue mass that grows, is larger than 5 cm, or is deep.
  • Persistent, night-time or progressive bone pain, especially if it limits activity.
  • A fracture from minimal trauma, or an aggressive bone lesion on an X-ray.
  • A lump that comes back after previous surgery.
  • Neurological symptoms, rapid swelling, or pain associated with a mass.

This information is general and does not replace a medical evaluation. A musculoskeletal tumor must be interpreted together with imaging, physical examination, biopsy when appropriate and each patient's context.

Specialist evaluation

If you have a mass, a bone lesion or a report suggesting a tumor, book an evaluation.

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