How Treatments Are Selected

Specific treatment for osteosarcoma will be determined by your physician based on:

  • Your age, overall health, and medical history
  • Extent of the disease
  • Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • Expectations for the course of the disease
  • Your opinion or preference

Types of treatments

Treatment may include:

Antibiotics to prevent and treat infections

Amputation

The removal of an injured or diseased body part, as a result of a traumatic injury or a planned operation, to prevent the spread of the disease. 

Chemotherapy

The use of anticancer drugs to shrink or kill cancerous cells and reduce cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

Radiation therapy

The use of high-energy radiation to kill or shrink cancer cells, tumors, and non-cancerous diseases.

Resections of metastases (spreading of the tumor to other locations)

Rehabilitation, including physical and occupational therapy, and psychosocial adapting

Prosthesis fitting and training

Supportive care for the side effects of treatment

Surgery (i.e., biopsy, resections, bone/skin grafts, limb salvage procedures, reconstructions)

Continued follow-up care to determine response to treatment, detect recurrent disease, and manage the side effects of treatment. Many patients, particularly those with higher-grade tumors, will receive a combination of treatments.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.

Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.

Open Trials Closed Trials

Clinics for Treatments