The Ever-Changing World of Limb Salvage Surgery for Malignant Bone Tumors

Nurs Clin North Am. 2020 Jun;55(2):251-266. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2020.02.006. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Abstract

The treatment of malignant bone tumors, also called bone sarcomas, has changed dramatically over the past 50 years owing to the advances in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, prosthetic technology, and surgical advances. There are 3 main primary bone cancers: osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma (or Ewing's family of sarcoma), and chondrosarcoma. Before advances in limb preservation techniques and before the development of prosthetic replacement, the treatment for a malignant bone tumor of the extremity was amputation. This article discusses the progression of surgical treatment of malignant bone cancers.

Keywords: Bone sarcomas; Chondrosarcoma; Ewing sarcoma; Limb salvage surgery; Limb-sparing surgery; Osteosarcoma.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bone Neoplasms / nursing*
  • Bone Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Limb Salvage / trends*