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Osteosarcoma Treatment

Also called: pediatric osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer in children and teens. It usually starts in the wide ends of long bones. It can also start in the flat bones that support and protect vital organs (such as the pelvis and the skull).

Osteosarcoma usually appears in children and young adults after age 10. It is the third most common cancer in teens. It is rare in children under age 5.

Osteosarcoma occurs slightly more often in males than females. African-American children have a higher risk of developing osteosarcoma than Caucasian children. Long-term survivors of other cancers treated with radiation therapy sometimes develop osteosarcoma.

Find out more about osteosarcoma on the Together by St. Jude™ online resource.

Treatment of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma treatment includes surgery and chemotherapy. If the disease has not spread to other areas of the body, the long-term survival rate is 70–75%. If it has spread to the lungs or other bones at diagnosis, the long-term survival rate is about 30%.


Osteosarcoma clinical trials

St. Jude offers clinical trials and cancer research studies for children, teens, and young adults with osteosarcoma.

Learn more about clinical research at St. Jude.

Recruiting
ONITT: Study of Onivyde with Talazoparib or Temozolomide in Children and Young Adults with Recurrent/Refractory Solid Tumors and Ewing Sarcoma

Study goal:

The main goal of this study is to test new experimental drugs in hopes of finding a treatment that may work against tumors that have come back or that have not responded to standard therapy in children, adolescents and young adults.

Age:

12 months to 30 years old

Recruiting
3CAR: B7-H3-specific CAR T-cell Therapy for Children and Young Adults with Solid Tumors

Study goal:

The main purpose of 3CAR is to find out if this type of immunotherapy is safe for pediatric patients with solid tumors. We also want to learn if it is effective in fighting solid tumors.

Age:

Up to 21 years old

Recruiting
AOST2032: Cabozantinib with Chemotherapy for Osteosarcoma

Study goal:

Find the highest dose of cabozantinib that can be given safely along with MAP chemotherapy; compare the effects of cabozantinib along with MAP and surgery versus MAP and surgery alone to find out which is better.

Age:

Less than 40 years old

Recruiting
PEPN2011: Tegavivint Treatment for Solid Tumors, Lymphomas, and Desmoid Tumors

Study goal:

The main purpose of this study is to find out how well the medicine tegavivint works to help children, teens, and young adults with certain recurrent or refractory solid tumors.

Age:

12 months to 30 years

Recruiting
PAINBDY1: Treating Pain in Children with Cancer: Pain Buddy

Study goal:

The main goal of this research study is to help us learn how to better treat pain and symptoms in children going through chemotherapy cancer treatment.

Age:

8 to 18 years old

Recruiting
PEPN2111: Phase 1/2 Trial of CBL0137 for Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors and Lymphoma

Study goal:

The main purpose of this study is to find the highest, safest dose of CBL0137 that can be given to children, teens and young adults with solid tumors or lymphoma.

Age:

12 months to 21 years old with diagnosis of relapsed or refractory solid tumor or lymphoma (including CNS tumors) or progressive or recurrent DIPG or other H3 K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomas previously treated with radiation therapy; 12 months to 30 years old with diagnosis of relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma

Recruiting
CARETPX: Repotrectinib for Tumors with Gene Changes

Study goal:

To find out whether repotrectinib is safe to use in children and young adults and whether it might work against tumors.

Age:

Up to 25 years old


Osteosarcoma care at St. Jude

St. Jude provides the highest quality of care for patients with osteosarcoma:

  • St. Jude has been a pioneer in limb-sparing surgeries. Our surgeons continue to explore new limb-sparing techniques. They are working to improve survival and help children live normal lives after treatment.
  • St. Jude offers a dedicated team of specialists to meet the needs of children with cancer, including:
  • Lab studies at St. Jude help scientists better understand the biology and behavior of osteosarcoma, both in tumor cell lines and in animal models (such as mice). These studies help scientists find risk factors. They also help scientists develop treatments.

More reasons to choose St. Jude for care include:

  • We are consistently ranked among the best childhood cancer centers in the nation by US News & World Report. 
  • At St. Jude, we have created an environment where children can be children and families can be together.  
  • We lead more clinical trials for childhood cancer than any other hospital in the U.S.  
  • St. Jude is the only National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center just for children. A Comprehensive Cancer Center meets rigorous standards for research that develops new and better approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. 
  • The nurse-to-patient ratio at St. Jude is about 1:3 in hematology and oncology and 1:1 in the Intensive Care Unit. 
  • Patients may be able to get expert, compassionate care and treatment closer to their homes through the St. Jude Affiliate Program. 
A statue of children running and holding hands

Seeking treatment at St. Jude

Patients accepted to St. Jude must have a disease we treat and must be referred by a physician or other qualified medical professional. We accept most patients based on their ability to enroll in an open clinical trial.

How to seek treatment

Contact the Physician / Patient Referral Office

Call: 1-888-226-4343 (toll-free) or 901-595-4055 (local)  | Fax: 901-595-4011 | Email: referralinfo@stjude.org | 24-hour pager: 1-800-349-4334

 

Learn more