Treatment
Your treatment will depend on:
the type of bone cancer you have
your age
where your cancer is
how far the cancer has grown or spread (the stage)
how abnormal the cells look under a microscope (the grade)
your general health and level of fitness
your preferences for treatment
You will discuss your treatment, its benefits and the possible side effects with your doctor.
An expert team of doctors and other professionals who specialise in bone sarcoma discuss the best treatment and care for you. They are called a multidisciplinary team (MDT). They are also called the bone sarcoma MDT. The MDT are based at specialist sarcoma centres.
The MDT includes:
specialist bone cancer surgeons
cancer doctors who treat cancer with drugs are called medical oncologists
cancer doctor who treats with radiotherapy is called a clinical oncologists
pathologist - a specialist looking at cells under a microscope
a doctor specialising in diagnosing disease through imaging such as x-rays and MRI scans. These are called radiologists
a specialist cancer nurse - also called a clinical nurse specialist or your keyworker
a
an
a false limb specialist (prosthetist)
or
social workers
symptom control specialists called palliative care doctors and nurses
Your specialist sarcoma centre might be at a hospital a bit further away than your local hospital. There are sarcoma centres around the UK. You can read more about where these are on the Sarcoma UK website.
Go to Sarcoma UK website for a list of specialist centres
The main treatments are:
surgery
chemotherapy
radiotherapy
Surgery and chemotherapy are the most common treatments for primary bone cancer. Radiotherapy is an important treatment for some bone cancers.
Some people with osteosarcoma will have a targeted drug.
The type of surgery you have will depend on the size of the cancer, where it is in your body and whether it has grown into the tissues surrounding the bone.
Types of surgery include:
a resection - removing the bone affected by the cancer
limb sparing surgery - removing the bone containing cancer and replacing it with a metal implant (prosthesis) or bone
amputation - removing a limb
a metastasectomy - removing cancer that has spread
Read more about surgery for bone cancer
Chemotherapy is part of . Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. It works well for some types of bone cancers such as Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma. You usually have chemotherapy before and after surgery.
Before surgery, chemotherapy treatment can shrink the cancer and make it easier to remove. After surgery, chemotherapy can kill off any cancer cells that may have escaped before your operation. This lowers the risk of the cancer coming back in the future.
You might also have chemotherapy to control bone cancer that has spread or come back after treatment. This is called advanced or metastatic bone cancer.
Read more about chemotherapy for bone cancer
Radiotherapy uses high energy waves similar to x-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiotherapy is not a standard treatment for all types of bone cancer. But it can be an important part of treatment for some bone cancers such as Ewing sarcoma.
For Ewing sarcoma you can have radiotherapy before or after surgery. This depends on where the cancer is. If surgery to remove the cancer is not possible or appropriate, you might have radiotherapy and chemotherapy instead of surgery.
You might have radiotherapy for osteosarcoma or chordoma if surgery is not possible. Or you might have it when all of the cancer couldn't be removed with surgery.
You might have radiotherapy to relieve the symptoms or treat all types of advanced primary bone cancer.
Read about radiotherapy for bone cancer
Targeted cancer drugs work by ‘targeting’ those differences that help a cancer cell to survive and grow.
Mifamurtide is a type of targeted cancer drug. You might have this is you are a child or young person with osteosarcoma. It works by stimulating the to kill the cancer cells. It makes the immune system produce certain types of white blood cells called monocytes and macrophages.
Imatinib and sunitinib are both targeted cancer drugs. You might have one of these if you have a type of bone cancer called a chordoma.
Other types of bone sarcoma might have other targeted treatments. These include:
pazopanib
cabozantinib
regorafenib
lenvatinib
denosumab
Find out more about targeted cancer drugs for bone cancer
Doctors are always trying to improve treatments and reduce side effects. Your doctor might ask you to participate in a clinical trial as part of your treatment. This might be to test a new treatment or to look at different combinations of existing treatments.
Your doctor will tell you if there are any trials that you can enter.
Find a clinical trial for bone cancer
Your doctor might offer you a choice of treatments. Discuss each treatment with them and ask how they can control any side effects. This helps you make the right decision for you. You also need to think about the other factors involved in each treatment, such as:
whether you need extra appointments
if you need more tests
the distance you need to travel to and from hospital
You might have to make further choices as your situation changes. It helps to find out as much as possible each time. You can stop a treatment whenever you want to if you find it too much to cope with.
Some people might want to get a second opinion before starting treatment. You can ask your specialist or GP to refer you to a doctor or surgeon specialising in bone cancer. It can be better to arrange a second opinion through your specialist because they can send all your notes and test results with you.
Having a second opinion doesn't usually mean that the new doctor takes over your treatment and care. They discuss with you and your current doctor which they feel is the best treatment for you.
It can take time to arrange a second opinion, which might mean that your treatment is delayed for a while. Remember also that several specialists will be involved in your care as part of your multi disciplinary team. Between them, they discuss the best way to treat your cancer.
Read more about getting a second opinion
Last reviewed: 24 Apr 2025
Next review due: 24 Apr 2028
There are several different types of primary bone cancer that can start in the cells of the bones. Find out about the different types.
The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and whether it has spread. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.
Surgery is one of the main treatments for bone cancer. Surgery for primary bone cancer is a very specialised treatment. You have your operation at a specialist centre.
Chemotherapy works very well for some types of bone cancer. There are different reasons why you might have chemotherapy treatment.
Radiotherapy means the use of radiation, usually x-rays to treat cancer. You don't routinely have radiotherapy for all types of bone cancer. But it can be an important part of treatment for some bone cancers such as Ewing sarcoma.
Getting practical and emotional support can help you cope with a diagnosis of bone cancer.
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