Osteosarcoma Treatment in India

Osteosarcomas is the most common pediatric and adult bone tumor with over 1000 new cases every year in the United States alone.

While it's most often found in the long bones of the legs, it can also appear in the arms or, rarely, in soft tissue outside the bone.

Understanding osteosarcoma's impact and available treatments is vital for improving patient outcomes and offering hope.

Learn about the treatment strategies, which are continuously evolving to increase survival rates and improve the quality of life for those affected.

Dive into this article, to explore comprehensive insights into osteosarcoma treatment options and their influence on patients' lives.

Why Osteosarcoma Treatment is Done?

Osteosarcoma treatment is primarily aimed at removing the tumor and preventing the spread of cancer. 

Chemotherapy significantly enhances survival rates, with early detection leading to a five-year survival rate of about 76%. Advances in treatment have improved outcomes, as reported between 2012 and 2018.

How the Osteosarcoma Treatment is Performed?

Treatment is best when it starts before the cancer spreads beyond the bones, however, most people find tumors early because they cause swelling, pain, or a limp.

To get rid of this cancer, patients need surgery and chemotherapy and some also get radiation therapy.

Surgery

Surgery helps to remove all the cancer, even if there are few cells left behind that can grow into a new tumor. However, depending on your case, the surgeon will process these procedures such as:

• Limb-sparing surgery: Involves removing the tumor and surrounding tissue while preserving the limb. About 85% to 90% of patients with osteosarcoma undergo this procedure
• Amputation: Necessary when the tumor invades nerves or blood vessels
• Rotationplasty: A procedure where part of the leg is reattached to preserve limb function

Chemotherapy

Chemo uses strong medications to kill cancer cells and stop their growth. Doctors insert them in patients' veins through an IV, however, chemotherapy can be used before surgery or after surgery.

Radiation Therapy

In radiation therapy, it uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells, however, it doesn’t work as well on osteosarcoma but it works on other cancers. 

Yet, doctors might use external beam radiation therapy if they can’t take out all of the cancer through surgery

Diagnosis and Evaluation

• Medical history or physical exam
• Blood tests
• Diagnostics imaging tests
• Biopsy
• Nuclear imaging, such as Positron emission tomography or PET scans, Radionuclide bone scan.
• MRI or CT
• Fertility Consultation

Who are the Candidates?

Patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma, particularly those whose cancer has not spread beyond the bone, are considered candidates for these treatments. 

List of Best Hospitals for Osteosarcoma Treatment in India

• Amrita Hospital, Faridabad
• Amrita Hospital, Kochi
• Medanta - The Medicity Hospital
• Moolchand Kharaiti Ram Hospital
• KIMS Hospital, Secunderabad
• Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai
• Vijaya Hospital, Chennai
• Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
• Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata
• Sir Ganga Ram Hospital

List of Best Doctors for Osteosarcoma Treatment in India

• Dr. Vinod Raina
• Dr. Rakesh Chopra
• Dr. Subodh Chandra Pande
• Dr. Sunil Kumar Gupta
• Dr. Harit Chaturvedi
• Dr. Jyoti Wadhwa
• Dr. Ashok Kumar Vaid
• Dr. (Col) R Ranga Rao
• Dr. Malay Nandy
• Dr. Amit Agarwal

Complications

Short-term side effects:

• Excess bleeding
• Blood clots 
• Infection

Conclusion

Osteosarcoma treatment involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation therapy to effectively manage and treat the condition. Early detection and advanced treatment options improve patient outcomes, offering hope for long-term survival.