Once chondrosarcoma is found, biopsy tests will be done to find out if the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The doctor needs to know the stage of the cancer in order to plan treatment.
There are several staging systems for chondrosarcoma, but no single staging system applies to all types of this cancer. The treatment options in this summary are based on whether the cancer has spread or the amount of tumor left after surgery. The general non specific stages of chondrosarcoma are non-metastatic, metastatic, and recurrent.
Treatment by stage
If the Chondrosarcoma is stage I or II the treatment option may simply be surgery to remove all of the cancer. Patients may undergo close monitoring with CT scans on a regular basis to be sure the tumor does not place any vital organs in danger, or if complete removal of the tumor is not possible, or if the tumor comes back following surgery. Sometimes a second operation must be done to be sure that all the tumor has been removed, or if the tumor comes back following treatment. No recurrence of tumor after five years is considered to be cured.
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Beginning the Chondrosarcoma Journey
