This century's medical advances benefit physicians and patients for treating illnesses and diseases - especially diagnosing and treating cancer. For example, within the past 30 years, musculoskeletal tumor management has gone from amputations as a standard treatment option, to limb-sparing surgeries and specific chemotherapies that have a significant impact on the overall patient survival. New techniques such as diagnostics using cell and molecular tests, cytogenetics; radiological tests, better drugs to treat the cancers, improved longer-lasting reconstruction material for soft tissue attachments, have significantly impacted patient care. In this edition of Orthopaedic Clinics dedicated to orthopaedic oncology, the latest concepts in basic science and clinical medicine affecting orthopaedic oncology are reviewed.