Osteosarcoma Chemotherapy

Osteosarcoma chemotherapy can improve the prognosis of a patient who has a malignant bone tumor by destroying cancerous cells that could potentially spread to other areas of his or her body. In many cases, a multi-modal treatment plan that includes two rounds of chemotherapy – one before surgery and one after – as well as an operation to remove the tumor can be highly effective. For maximum effectiveness, this treatment approach should be developed and monitored by a multispecialty team of experts, each of whom focuses on a specific aspect of bone cancer treatment. At Moffitt Cancer Center, each patient’s osteosarcoma chemotherapy regimen is created by a collaborative tumor board that includes surgeons, medical oncologists, pathologists and other medical professionals. In this way, we ensure the best possible treatment for each patient based on multiple expert opinions.

A commonly recommended course of osteosarcoma chemotherapy regimen consists of approximately six five-week cycles, each of which includes:

• The administration of a combination of osteosarcoma chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin and doxorubicin; ifosfamide and etoposide; or ifosfamide, cisplatin and epirubicin
• A mid-cycle break to give healthy cells the opportunity to repair any damage caused by the medications
• A high dose of methotrexate followed by leucovorin to help manage any side effects

During a break from osteosarcoma chemotherapy, the bone marrow will naturally work to replace lost blood cells. If a patient is receiving very intensive treatment or his or her white blood cell count is slow to rebound, growth factor drugs, blood transfusions or white blood cell transfusions may be prescribed to boost white blood cell production.

Each year, thousands of patients receive outstanding and innovative osteosarcoma treatment at Moffitt, where our bone cancer experts are among most experienced in the nation. Our tumor board not only focuses exclusively on the medical management of bone cancer, but also participates in ongoing research studies to determine the most effective ways to use osteosarcoma chemotherapy. Through our robust clinical trials program, we are able to offer our patients access to some of the newest and most targeted chemotherapy drugs before those treatments are made available in other settings. For this reason and others, out patient outcomes consistently exceed the national average, and our patients experience an enhanced quality of life.

All types of osteosarcoma chemotherapy are available to patients at all Moffitt locations. If you’d like to learn more about our bone cancer treatment options, we provide consultations with and without referrals. Call 1-888-663-3488 or complete a new patient registration form online.