A Patient's Guide to Chondrosarcoma

Where is the best place to go to receive appropriate treatment?

Patients with chondrosarcoma are best treated at major SARCOMA centers with special diagnostic facilities and Musculoskeletal Tumor Specialists or Orthopedic Oncologists available. Because many bone cancers are not common, it is often a good idea to seek an opinion from a major cancer center that has a wide experience in treating bone cancers. This is where you will find organized groups of doctors and other health care professionals who work together to provide the best treatment options and recovery as a team.

If your primary care physician suspects chondrosarcoma, a simple referral to an Orthopedic doctor may not be your bestoption, even with an HMO. Be sure to ask your doctor what his qualifications and credentials are as a "Bone Cancer Specialist."

Obtaining a second opinion can provide more accurate information and help you feel more confident about the treatment plan that is chosen for the future condition of your medical well-being. Most insurance companies require a second opinion before they will agree to pay for treatments, anyway.You are entitled to a second opinion.

Remember that you have a right to a second opinion. You may find it helpful to discuss chondrosarcoma with an Orthopedic Tumor Specialist who has the most up to date facts about your disease at a major medical center.If you cannot find one in your area, call a major University Medical Center and ask for a recommendation.

What kinds of doctors are most qualified to treat chondrosarcoma?

Orthopedic doctors who are Bone Tumor Specialists. Their specialty designates them as Musculoskeletal Tumor Specialists or Orthopedic Oncologists. Find one HERE

If a patient has been diagnosed with chondrosarcoma in the chest then a thoracic surgeon with experience with sarcomas would be necessary. One can most likely find them in association with Sarcoma Centers, or Musculoskeletal Tumor Specialists. If one has chondrosarcoma of the skull base, it is best to see a Neurologist with experience in treating sarcomas. It is important to ask how many sarcomas the physician has treated. Referral to Proton Beam Radiation is usually a part of the treatment. A patient with chondrosarcoma in the jaw, spenoid,(sinus area) hands, or feet would best be treated by those specializing in those parts of the body who have had experience with sarcomas. Chondrosarcoma of the larynx is so rare that it is difficult to find a Otolaryngologist who has seen very many cases, however the treatment for laryngeal chondrosarcoma is much the same as for many other kinds of laryngeal tumors. What other kinds of medical professionals are involved in diagnosing and treating chondrosarcoma?

Oncologist (if there is a need for chemotherapy based upon the type and grade)

Oncological Radiologist (if there is any need for radiation as in more aggressive forms of chondrosarcoma, skull base, spine and sometimes pelvic chondrosarcoma)

Pathologist (needed to interpret the biopsy; best if it is one who has lots of experience with sarcomas

Physical Therapist (depending on how invasive the surgery, the physical therapist is instrumental in teaching the patient how to manage the new changes in the body)

Prothetist (needed if there has been amputation to create and fit the prothesis; artificial limb)

Psychiatrist or Psychologist (to help with any medication or counseling issues regarding depression, anxiety or stress in relationship to coping with the diagnosis, as is common to cancer patients.)

Go on to question #7 What are the methods used to diagnose chondrosarcoma?

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This site was created in loving memory of Raj A. Megha.

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