Osteosarcoma: Pathology, staging and management
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant spindle cell sarcoma in which the malignant cells produce osteoid or bone in the background of a sarcomatous stroma. However, fibrous or cartilaginous tissue may co-exist or even predominate. The classic or so-called conventional osteosarcoma develops in the medullary cavity of the metaphysis of long bones. It has a predilection for the knee area with 50% of cases in either the distal femur or proximal tibia, with the second most common site being the proximal humerus (10%). However, osteosarcoma has been described in every bone. Osteosarcoma has a bimodal peak incidence. It is the most common bone tumour in children and adolescents with a peak incidence between ten and 20 years. This correlates with the adolescent growth spurt. It is also the third most common malignancy in childhood following leukaemia and lymphoma. Adults are less affected with a second peak incidence between 50 and 70 years. This later incidence is usually associated with secondary OS that could arise in Paget’s disease, bone infarcts and fibrous dysplasia. Surface osteosarcomas tend to affect younger adults in the third and fourth decade. Many variants of the conventional or classic high-grade OS have been described. The two most common of these variants are the surface or juxtacortical group and the telangiectatic osteosarcomas. The surface osteosarcomas arise on the surface of long bones, most prominently the posterior aspect of the femur.
Authors: DJ van der Spuy, G J Vlok
Institution: Stellenbosch University
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2267732096