Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Neurosurgery >
  • ... >
  • Brain >
  • Conditions >
  • Brain Tumors >
  • ​Osteosarcoma
Neurosurgery
About Us
Contact Us
Conditions and Treatments
Brain
Conditions
Brain Tumors
Conditions
Our Experts
Treatments
Pituitary and Skull Base Tumors
Neurovascular
Cranial Nerve Disorders
Movement Disorders & Epilepsy
Chiari Malformation
Trauma & Injury
Treatments
Spine Neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Meet the Neurosurgery Experts
Patient Stories
Classes, Events, & News
Neurocirugia
Neurosurgery
About Us
Contact Us
Conditions and Treatments
Brain
Conditions
Brain Tumors
Conditions
Our Experts
Treatments
Pituitary and Skull Base Tumors
Neurovascular
Cranial Nerve Disorders
Movement Disorders & Epilepsy
Chiari Malformation
Trauma & Injury
Treatments
Spine Neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Meet the Neurosurgery Experts
Patient Stories
Classes, Events, & News
Neurocirugia

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

​Osteosarcoma (Bone Cancer)

Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that usually develops in the osteoblast cells that form bone. Bone cancer most often occurs in the long bones that make up the arms and legs, though it can occur in any bone.

Learn about the treatment options for Osteosarcoma at the UPMC Pituitary Center of Excellence.

Contact the UPMC Department of Neurosurgery

To make an appointment or learn more:

  • Call us at 1-412-647-3685 or outside the U.S., call 1-877-320-8762.
  • Fill out our UPMC Neurosurgery contact form.
  • Overview
  • Symptoms & Diagnosis
  • Treatment

What is Osteosarcoma?

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer. Cancer may form in the bone or spread to the bone from another site in the body.

When cancer starts in bone tissue, it is called primary bone cancer. When cancer cells travel to the bone from elsewhere, it is called secondary or metastatic bone cancer.

Symptoms of osteosarcoma can include deep bone pain, swelling or lumps, and fatigue.

At UPMC, the preferred surgical treatment for osteosarcoma of the skull base is the Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA). This innovative, minimally invasive technique uses the nose and nasal cavities as natural corridors to access hard-to-reach or previously inoperable tumors. Benefits of EEA include:

  • No incisions to heal
  • No disfigurement
  • Faster recovery time

Diagnosing Osteosarcoma

Your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask about any symptoms you are experiencing.

Symptoms of osteosarcoma

Symptoms may include:

  • Deep bone pain that wakes you up
  • Swelling or a lump where the tumor is
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Trouble breathing
  • Fevers or night sweats

Testing for osteosarcoma

Your doctor also will want to run various tests to confirm the diagnosis of osteosarcoma.

Those tests will include:

  • Blood tests to check the level of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (an increased amount of this enzyme is released in patients with bone tumors)
  • X-ray
  • Bone, CT, and MRI scans
  • Biopsy

The sooner osteosarcoma is found and treated, the more favorable the outcome. Once the tumor is found, staging tests are performed to find out if the cancer has spread and, if so, to what extent.

Osteosarcoma Treatments

Treatment depends on:

  • Type and stage of cancer
  • Location of cancer
  • Your overall health

UPMC's neurosurgical team may recommend a combination of surgical and non-surgical approaches to treat osteosarcoma.

Minimally invasive surgery

Surgery for osteosarcomas involves the removal of the cancerous tumor and nearby tissues.

Osteosarcomas of the skull base may be approached directly using Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA). This state-of-the-art, minimally invasive treatment approach allows surgeons to access the tumor through the natural corridor of the nose, without making an open incision. Surgeons then remove the osteosarcoma through the nose and nasal cavities.

EEA offers the benefits of no incisions to heal, no disfigurement, and a faster recovery time.

If you need complementary treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy, those therapies can begin soon after EEA surgery.

At UPMC, we look at your condition from every direction to find the treatment path that is least disruptive to your brain, critical nerves, and your ability to return to normal functioning. We aim to maximize the benefits of surgery while minimizing risks.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy

If the osteosarcoma is large, aggressive, or the risk of spread is high, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be added. This will help prevent a recurrence at the site of surgery and also prevent spread to other organs.

Chemotherapy given before and after surgery will often cure osteosarcoma.

Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery
Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery Offers Hope

Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA)
Pituitary Tumor Removal Using the Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA) at UPMC

Quick Links

  • Patient Stories
  • For Pediatric Patients
  • Legacy of Innovation
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login