Chondrosarcoma

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This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Content is sourced from third parties, and we do not guarantee accuracy or accept any liability for its use. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical guidance.

What is Chondrosarcoma?

Chondrosarcoma is a malignant bone cancer originating from cartilage cells, the second most common primary bone tumor in adults (25-30% of cases), typically affecting the pelvis, femur, humerus, or ribs. It’s graded low (grade 1, slow-growing), intermediate (grade 2), or high (grade 3, aggressive with metastasis potential). Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (10%) is high-grade with poor prognosis. In 2025, it accounts for ~800-1,000 US cases annually, with median age 50-60, slightly more in men.

Symptoms

Symptoms include persistent, dull pain at the tumor site (worsening with activity or at night), swelling or a palpable lump, limited joint movement, pathological fractures (from weakened bone), and fatigue/weight loss in advanced cases. High-grade tumors cause rapid swelling, while low-grade may be asymptomatic. Metastatic disease (lungs in 10%) causes cough or shortness of breath. Symptoms often mimic arthritis or injuries.

Causes

Causes are largely unknown, but risk factors include prior enchondroma or osteochondroma (1% transform), genetic syndromes (e.g., Ollier disease, Maffucci syndrome), Paget’s disease, and radiation exposure. IDH1/2 mutations are common (50-70%), driving abnormal cartilage growth. No strong lifestyle links, but age (40-60 peak) and male gender increase risk. In 2025, genomic studies reveal EXT1/2 mutations in secondary cases.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis uses X-rays showing lytic lesions or calcifications, MRI/CT for tumor extent/soft tissue involvement, and PET/bone scans for metastasis. Biopsy (needle or open) confirms grade, with immunohistochemistry (S100 positive) and molecular testing for IDH mutations. In 2025, AI imaging and NGS improve grading accuracy by 15%.

Treatment

Surgery is primary (wide resection or amputation for high-grade), as chondrosarcoma is chemo/radio-resistant. Low-grade tumors have 90% cure with surgery alone. High-grade or recurrent cases use radiation (proton therapy for unresectable) or chemotherapy (limited efficacy, used in dedifferentiated). Targeted therapies (IDH inhibitors like ivosidenib) benefit IDH-mutated cases (phase II trials show 30% response). In 2025, immunotherapy trials (checkpoint inhibitors) show promise for high-grade.

Future Outlook

In 2025, 5-year survival is 90% for grade 1, 60-70% for grade 2, and 30-50% for grade 3/dedifferentiated. Surgical advances reduce recurrence to 10-20%. Research on IDH inhibitors and CAR-T could improve high-grade survival to 60% by 2030, with AI aiding early detection.

Sources

The information for chondrosarcoma is drawn from Cleveland Clinic’s “Chondrosarcoma: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment” for symptoms and treatment; Mayo Clinic’s “Chondrosarcoma – Symptoms and causes” for causes; Healthline’s “Chondrosarcoma: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Outlook” for outlook; MD Anderson’s “Understanding chondrosarcoma: symptoms, treatment and prognosis” for comprehensive overview; Medical News Today’s “Chondrosarcoma: Symptoms, causes, treatments, and more” for symptoms; YouTube’s “Chondrosarcoma: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment” for diagnostic methods; Penn Medicine’s “Chondrosarcoma – Symptoms and Causes” for symptoms; Bone Cancer Research Trust’s “Chondrosarcoma” for treatment; Cedars-Sinai’s “Chondrosarcoma” for understanding.