Primary bony and cartilaginous sarcomas of the chest wall are uncommon, and data concerning treatment and results are sparse. To assess the results of therapy, we reviewed our 40-year experience. Records of 38 patients with osteosarcoma and 88 with chondrosarcoma arising in chest wall admitted to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1949 to 1989 were reviewed. The 88 patients with chondrosarcoma ranged in age from 5 to 86 years (median age, 49 years); the male/female ratio was 1.3:1. Presenting complaint was mass, pain, or both in 93%. Primary therapy was resection (n = 84), radiation therapy (n = 3), or chemotherapy (n = 1). Overall 5-year survival was 64%. Significant adverse prognostic factors included metastases at initial presentation (n = 9), metastases at any time during the course of disease (n = 23), age greater than 50 years (n = 42), incomplete or no resection (n = 13), and local recurrence (n = 24). Sex, grade, and tumor size were not prognostic factors. The 38 patients with osteosarcoma ranged in age from 11 to 78 years (median age, 42 years); the male/female ratio was 1.5:1. Presenting complaint was mass, pain, or both in 95%. Primary therapy included resection (n = 31; alone in 13, with radiation therapy in 3, with chemotherapy in 15), radiation therapy (n = 3), radiation therapy and chemotherapy (n = 2), chemotherapy (n = 1), or no treatment (n = 1). Overall 5-year survival was 15%. Significant adverse prognostic factors included presence of synchronous metastases (n = 13) and metastases at any time during the course of disease (n = 26).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)