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Surgery for osteosarcoma includes the biopsy, which tells you if you have osteosarcoma (discussed in the Diagnostic Procedure section of the Just Diagnosed section), and the surgical treatment to remove as much of the tumor as possible. It is very important that these are planned together and if possible be done by the same orthopedic surgeon.

Surgical removal of the original tumor (resection) generally occurs after treatment with pre-operative chemotherapy, and is followed by post-operative chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy prior to surgery helps to shrink the tumor, making it easier for removal during surgery. The goal of the surgery is to remove all of the tumor tissue. Looking at the tumor under the microscope allows your doctor (the pathologist) to evaluate the response of your tumor to the chemotherapy treatment.

There are different types of surgical treatments that go along with the surgical removal of the tumor. One surgical treatment can be limb-salvage surgery (removing the cancer without amputation), while another is amputation (removing the cancer and all or part of an arm or leg). In addition to either of these surgeries, other surgeries may be needed to rebuild parts of your body affected by the previous surgeries, called reconstructive surgery. Also, more surgery may be required to remove metastases, tumors that have spread somewhere other than the original site, such as beyond the bone to your lungs or other bones.