Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026
09:25
Establishment of Cancer Stem Cell Cultures from Human Conventional Osteosarcoma
Published on: October 14, 2016
The epidemiology of osteosarcoma
Giulia Ottaviani1, Norman Jaffe
1Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. giulia.ottaviani@unimi.it
Cancer Treatment and Research
|March 10, 2010
Summary
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer, primarily affecting adolescents during growth spurts and older adults. Incidence is higher in males and Black/Hispanic populations, with common sites near long bone growth plates.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Orthopedic Oncology
- Pediatric Oncology
Background:
- Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy, originating from primitive bone-forming mesenchymal cells.
- It has a bimodal age distribution, with peaks in adolescence (linked to growth spurts) and older adulthood (potentially secondary to Paget's disease).
- Incidence rates vary by race and sex, with higher rates observed in males, Black, and Hispanic populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the epidemiology, common locations, and survival statistics of osteosarcoma.
- To highlight the bimodal age distribution and its potential correlation with growth spurts and secondary malignancies.
- To identify factors influencing osteosarcoma outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological data on osteosarcoma incidence, age distribution, and demographics.
- Analysis of common anatomical sites and their distribution within those sites.
- Compilation of survival rates and factors affecting prognosis.
Main Results:
- Osteosarcoma incidence is approximately 4.0-5.0 per million person-years in individuals up to 19 years old.
- The most common sites are the distal femur (42%), proximal tibia (19%), and proximal humerus (10%).
- The overall 5-year survival rate is 68%, influenced by age, tumor stage, metastasis, and treatment response.
Conclusions:
- Osteosarcoma epidemiology is characterized by a bimodal age distribution and variations in incidence across different demographic groups.
- Optimal outcomes depend on complete surgical excision, appropriate staging, and effective chemotherapy.
- Age is a significant prognostic factor, with older patients experiencing poorer survival rates.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
02:49Cancer Therapies
Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis
Cancer survival analysis focuses on quantifying and interpreting the time from a key starting point, such as diagnosis or the initiation of treatment, to a specific endpoint, such as remission or death. This analysis provides critical insights into treatment effectiveness and factors that influence patient outcomes, helping to shape clinical decisions and guide prognostic evaluations. A cornerstone of oncology research, survival analysis tackles the challenges of skewed, non-normally...
01:29Bone Disorders
Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:31Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during bone...