Me: This topic was something I realized I would have to look into at some point since the link between cancer and height is very clear. I got a message from Tyler recently for me to look into it as well. First, what does wikipedia say about it (HERE)?

“Chondrosarcoma is a cancer composed of cells derived from transformed cells that produce cartilage. Chondrosarcoma is a member of a category of tumors of bone and soft tissue known as sarcomas. About 30% of skeletal system cancers are chondrosarcomas. While the disease can affect people (or animals) of any age, unlike most other forms of skeletal system cancer, it is more common among older people than among children, and more often affects the axial skeleton than the appendicular skeleton.”

“The most common sites for chondrosarcoma to grow are the pelvis and shoulder, along with the superior metaphysial and diaphysial regions of the arms and legs. However, chondrosarcoma may occur in any bone, and are sometimes found in the skull, particularly at its base.”

What I think is really critical to explain right now is that I have had a certain guess for a long time now after reading enough papers on the natural growth process that certain ways we might try as adults to gain height might also lead to increase rates and levels of getting cancer.

From the website for The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative…

What is chondrosarcoma?

Chondrosarcoma is a type of sarcoma that affects the bones and joints. It is a rare cancer that is diagnosed in 2,100 patients each year in the United States. Chondrosarcoma typically affects adults between the age of 20 and 60 years old, and it is more common in men. The disease usually starts in the bones of the arms, legs or pelvis, but it can be found in any part of the body that contains cartilage. Sometimes chondrosarcoma grows on an otherwise healthy bone, and sometimes it grows on a benign bone tumor (an enchondroma or osteochondroma).

There are several types of chondrosarcoma that are named based on the way that they appear under the microscope. These include:

• Conventional chondrosarcoma
• Clear cell chondrosarcoma
• Myxoid chondrosarcoma
• Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma
• Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma

What causes chondrosarcoma?

As with many cancers, the cause of chondrosarcoma is not clear. However, people with certain medical conditions have an increased risk for developing chondrosarcoma. These conditions include:

• Ollier’s Disease
• Maffucci Syndrome
• Multiple Hereditary Exostoses (MHE, a.k.a., osteochondromatoses)
• Wilms’ Tumor
• Paget’s disease
• Diseases in children that required previous treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy

As for the genetics and causes of the cancer, it has been rather hard to find sources which can determine the cause of it, from the website…

The genetic changes specific to chondrosarcoma continue to be investigated extensively. Although studies have not yet established a specific or recurrent karyotypic feature for any of these tumors, different chondrosarcomas have demonstrated anomalies in several tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, and transcription factors, including TP53, RAS, EXT1, EXT2, and Sox9. Available cytogenetic and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) studies reveal changes in some chondrosarcomas, but fail to do so in others. These studies are thus far difficult to interpret.

Based on the available studies, it is likely that chondrosarcomas are generated by a coordinated, multi-step process involving primarily tumor suppressor genes. In fact, the complexity and variety of genetic changes seen in chondrosarcomas may indicate several distinct genetic pathways. Some of the same genes may be involved in each, but the order and manner in which they are affected may differ among chondrosarcomas.

Final Words: The topic of cancer is a very complex, and large field of study. I once wanted to become a hematologist/oncologist at one point in my educational career but I realized that the field of cancer is too large and difficult for one person to understand even at a reasonable level. When I was given the task of studying on chondrosarcoma I forgot just how intensive the research would be. For right now, my understanding of chondrosarcoma is very limited and I also realize that many websites on the internet has said that the exact genetics or pathway mechanism on how chondrosarcoma develops is not well understood. This website is to find  way to gain height. Right now I can’t see or connect how learning more about chondrosarcoma will help lead to possible height increase since not even the medical professionals have figured even one pathway mechanism yet. My approach has always been to look at the pathway a mechanism occurs and try to take the theory and find ways to apply it in everyday life. If in a few years the pathways for how cancer of the cartilage is understood better, maybe we can use the genetic pathways and propose that it might be abel to stimulate that pathway to lead to adult onset cartilage cell proliferation while keeping the growth rate below what would lead to malignant tumors.