Chondrosarcoma

This is a rare tumor of the cartilage of the bone. It is the malignant form of chondroma, which is a benign tumor or growth on cartilage. Cartilage is a smooth, pearl white connective tissue that lines the ends of bones where they join to create a smooth surface for the bones to move against.

It grows slowly and rarely spreads. Its most common site is at the base of the skull.

Causes and Risk Factors

Chondrosarcoma is more common in adult men.

Diagnosis

This disease can only be diagnosed by taking a sample of the tumor for viewing under a microscope. By looking at the cells, the tumor can be graded from grade 1 (slow-growing with a good outcome likely) to grade 4 (more rapidly growing and more likely to spread).

Treatment

No matter what grade the tumor is, it has a tendency to spread into nearby soft tissues.

Treatment is usually surgical removal of the tumor. This is followed by radiation therapy.