Chondrosarcoma

Chondrosarcoma
Histopathologic image of chondrosarcoma of the chest wall. Surgical resection of recurrent mass. H & E stain.
Classification and external resources
ICD-9-CM	170.9
ICD-O	M9220/3-9240/3
OMIM	215300
DiseasesDB	2597
eMedicine	article/388869
MeSH	D002813
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Chondrosarcoma is a cancer composed of cells derived from transformed cells that produce cartilage. Chondrosarcoma is a member of a category of tumors of bone and soft tissue known as sarcomas. About 30% of skeletal system cancers are chondrosarcomas. It is resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Unlike other primary bone cancers that mainly affect children and adolescents, chondrosarcoma can present at any age. It more often affects the axial skeleton than the appendicular skeleton.

Physicians grade chondrosarcoma using several criteria, but particularly on how abnormal the cancerous cells appear under the microscope, and the growth rate of the tumors themselves, both of which are directly linked to the propensity of the cancer to invade locally, and to spread widely to distant organs and sites in the body (called metastasis).

Grade 1 chondrosarcoma grows relatively slowly, has cells whose histological appearance is quite similar to cells of normal cartilage, and have much less aggressive invasive and metastatic properties. Grades 2 and 3 are increasingly faster-growing cancers, with more varied and abnormal-looking cells, and are much more likely to infiltrate surrounding tissues, lymph nodes, and organs. Some, but not all, authorities and medical facilities assign a "Grade 4" to the most anaplastic, undifferentiated cartilage-derived tumors.

The most common sites for chondrosarcoma to grow are the pelvis and shoulder, along with the superior metaphysial and diaphysial regions of the arms and legs. However, chondrosarcoma may occur in any bone, and are sometimes found in the skull, particularly at its base.

ICD-O codes provide a more precise classification of chondrosarcoma. These "subtypes" are derived from, and reflect, both (a) the topographical location of the tumor, (b) the histological characteristics of the cancerous cartilage cells, and (c) the makeup of the surrounding matrix material associated with the tumor:

Imaging studies - including radiographs ("x-rays"), computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - are often used to make a presumptive diagnosis of chondrosarcoma. However, a definitive diagnosis depends on the identification of malignant cancer cells producing cartilage in a biopsy specimen that has been examined by a pathologist. In a few cases, usually of highly anaplastic tumors, (IHC)is required.

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