Bone tumours: chondrosarcoma: practice question

A Orthopaedics question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Orthopaedics · Bone tumours: chondrosarcoma

Sample item

A 55-year-old man has a slowly enlarging pelvic mass, and radiographs show a lobulated lesion with ring and arc calcifications. Which statement about this tumour is correct?

AIt is relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so wide excision is the treatmentBIt responds well to chemotherapy aloneCIt arises from osteoblasts producing osteoidDIt is the commonest primary malignant bone tumour

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. It is relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so wide excision is the treatment

Chondrosarcoma produces cartilage matrix and appears with popcorn or ring-and-arc calcification. Conventional types are largely resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so wide surgical excision is the main treatment, with prognosis dependent on grade.

Option by option

A. It is relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so wide excision is the treatment (correct)
Correct. Surgery is the mainstay because of chemo and radioresistance.
B. It responds well to chemotherapy alone
Chemotherapy alone is ineffective in conventional chondrosarcoma.
C. It arises from osteoblasts producing osteoid
Tumour osteoid is produced by osteosarcoma.
D. It is the commonest primary malignant bone tumour
Osteosarcoma is the commonest primary malignant bone tumour apart from myeloma.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Orthopaedics question

What is the answer to this Orthopaedics question?

The best answer is A, It is relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so wide excision is the treatment. Chondrosarcoma produces cartilage matrix and appears with popcorn or ring-and-arc calcification.

Why is "It responds well to chemotherapy alone" not the answer?

Chemotherapy alone is ineffective in conventional chondrosarcoma.

Why is "It arises from osteoblasts producing osteoid" not the answer?

Tumour osteoid is produced by osteosarcoma.

Why is "It is the commonest primary malignant bone tumour" not the answer?

Osteosarcoma is the commonest primary malignant bone tumour apart from myeloma.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Bone tumours: chondrosarcoma in Orthopaedics. Conventional types are largely resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so wide surgical excision is the main treatment, with prognosis dependent on grade.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Bone tumours: chondrosarcoma?

Pair each fracture with its classic complication and nerve injured. Then use the flashcards and the other Orthopaedics questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.