Osteosarcoma

Synonyms

Osteogenic sarcoma

Definition

Malignant tumor with variable degree of osteoid production by neoplastic cells.

Clinical Features

• Incidence

  Osteosarcoma is a rare neoplasm, representing about 0.2% of all malignant tumors. The estimated incidence is of three cases/million population/year.

• Age

  The peak of incidence is between 10 and 25 years of age, while is rare before age 5. Adults over 50 years could be also affected, in particular, in association with risk factors (e.g., post-radiation or Paget disease of bone).

• Sex

  Males are affected more frequently than females (male: female ratio 1.4:1).

• Site

  The tumor is usually located in the metaphysis of long bones (distal femur, proximal tibia, and proximal humerus). It is occasionally seen in diaphysis (<9%) and, rarely, in epiphyseal region. It is less common in flat or short bones. In male genital organs, cases of osteosarcoma have been rarely observed. In the English literature, there are reports of five cases of testicular primary...