From conventional to cutting edge: an exploration of osteosarcoma treatments

Abstract

Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer in children and young adults that has a remarkably high mortality rate upon metastasis. Current standard treatments have remained largely unchanged for nearly five decades, focusing on a combination of chemotherapy with high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin, complemented by aggressive surgical resections. Despite this lack of change, recent advancements in medical research have spurred hope for more effective and less invasive approaches to managing osteosarcoma. In this review, we provide an overview of existing therapeutic modalities, including chemotherapy regimens tailored to tumor stage and patient response, radiation therapies aimed at local tumor control, and advanced surgical techniques such as limb-sparing procedures. Additionally, we explore two promising future treatments that are currently under investigation for osteosarcoma cases: targeted therapies utilizing nanomaterials like graphene oxide and innovative oncolytic viruses. This review highlights potential breakthroughs in treatment options while identifying areas that warrant further investigation in the management of osteosarcoma. Considering the limited advancements in treatment over the past decades, identifying and highlighting novel and effective therapies is vital for improving patient outcomes and survival rates.

Keywords: Cancer immunotherapy; Oncolytic viruses; Osteosarcoma; Trastuzumab.