Chondrosarcoma Treatment in Germany

Chondrosarcoma is rare, and its forms differ greatly: from slow-growing low-grade tumors to aggressive dedifferentiated ones. A mistake in the grade changes the whole plan: in one case gentle surgery is enough, in another extensive removal is needed. That is why in Germany such tumors are treated at university hospitals and centers that specialize in sarcomas, and the biopsy is almost always reviewed by a reference pathologist.

If the tumor is located at the skull base or in the spine, neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists from a proton therapy center join the treatment. General information about bone sarcomas is on the page bone cancer treatment in Germany.

Chondrosarcoma diagnosis in Germany includes MRI and CT of the tumor area, a chest CT to look for metastases and a review of the histology. From the images, doctors assess the size of the tumor, bone destruction and spread into the soft tissues, and for skull base tumors, the relation to blood vessels and cranial nerves.

The tumor tissue may be tested for mutations in the IDH1 and IDH2 genes. They do not matter for choosing the operation, but in advanced disease they help to understand whether targeted drugs or clinical trials are suitable for the patient.

Surgery is the basis of treatment for most chondrosarcomas. The tumor is removed in one piece with a margin of healthy tissue. On the pelvis and sacrum, such procedures are among the most complex in orthopedic oncology: nerves, blood vessels and pelvic organs must be preserved and support restored. German surgeons use computer navigation and custom endoprostheses made from the patient’s CT data.

For low-grade tumors in the bones of the limbs, a gentler operation with scraping out the tumor and filling the cavity is sometimes possible. Skull base chondrosarcoma is removed by neurosurgeons through approaches that preserve the functions of the brain and cranial nerves, and radiation often follows.

Proton therapy for chondrosarcoma is used when the tumor cannot be removed completely or when parts of it remain after surgery. Chondrosarcoma responds poorly to radiation, so a high dose is needed. Proton therapy makes it possible to deliver this dose to the tumor while exposing nearby tissues less: the proton beam releases most of its energy at a set depth and hardly travels any further.

This is especially important for tumors at the skull base and in the spine, where the brainstem, optic nerves and spinal cord lie close by. Proton therapy for chondrosarcoma in Germany is provided, for example, at the West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen. For small lesions, radiosurgery at the European CyberKnife Center Munich is also discussed.

Chondrosarcoma treatment in Germany is provided by university hospitals, for example in Essen, Cologne, Tübingen, Düsseldorf and Leipzig, Charité in Berlin, as well as by specialized radiation centers. The choice depends on what the patient needs: complex pelvic surgery, neurosurgical removal of a skull base tumor or a course of proton therapy.

If you are comparing countries, there is a page on chondrosarcoma treatment in Israel, and clinics in different countries are collected in the catalog of oncology clinics.

The cost of chondrosarcoma treatment in Germany depends on the method. Surgery on a limb, removal of a pelvic tumor with a custom endoprosthesis and a course of proton therapy are programs of different scope. German clinics name the cost after studying the scans and histology.

We request programs from several clinics and centers and show you what each one includes. To start chondrosarcoma treatment in Germany, submit a request and send your MRI, CT and biopsy report – the coordinator will pass them on to the doctors, and you will receive the specialists’ opinion and programs.