Cancer of the bone or bone cancer is a general term used when cancer cells are seen in the bone. Cancer that begins in the bone is called primary bone cancer. It is found most often in the arms and legs but it can occur in any bone in the body. Children and young people are more likely than adults to have bone cancers.
Removal of bone tumour through surgical procedures is one the most common ways of treating bone cancer. Radiotherapy and chemo therapy are other ways of treating bone cancer. A combination of different techniques is sometimes used to form a more effective bone cancer treatment. The kind of treatment to be administered is dependent on the stage of bone cancer and the place of its occurrence.
In young people, the most common type of bone cancer is osteosarcoma, usually occurring between the ages of ten and twenty-five. More often, males are affected than females. Osteosarcoma frequently starts in the ends of the bones; where new bone tissue forms as a young person grows, usually affecting the long bones of the arms and legs. Ewing's sarcoma usually affects teenagers, and is mostly found in people between ten and twenty-five years old.
Symptoms tend to develop slowly and depend on the type, location, and size of the tumor. The signs and symptoms of bone carcinoma include: painful bones and joints, swelling of bones and joints, problems with movement, susceptibility to fractures. Less common symptoms include: unexplained weight loss, tiredness, fever and sweating.
Bone cancer is rare and accounts for less than 1% of all new tumors. Not all bone tumors are fatal in fact benign (non cancerous) abnormalities are more common than malignant ones. Most bone cancers are secondary and have been spread from another site. Primary bone cancer which starts in the bone is quite rare constituting less than one per cent of all malignant tumors. They are more common in males, especially in children and adolescents. The most common type of primary bone cancer is osteosarcoma. This type of carcinoma usually affects young adults. It can affect any bone, but the arms, legs and pelvis are more commonly affected. Other less common forms of primary bone cancer include Ewing sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and chondrosarcoma.
Cancer of the bone or bone cancer is a general term used when cancer cells are seen in the bone. Cancer that begins in the bone is called primary bone cancer. It is found most often in the arms and legs but it can occur in any bone in the body. Children and young people are more likely than adults to have bone cancers.
Some of these signs can be caused by calcium deposits from the bones making their way into the bloodstream, raising calcium levels to such a height that their build-up causes a tumor.
Fibrosarcoma is a very rare type of bone cancer and occurs in adults between the ages of thirty five and fifty five. It generally shows up in the leg, behind the knee, and is more common in males. Chordoma is also very rare; the survival rate is not very often. It, too, is more common in males and typically occurs once the patient is over the age of thirty. There are also a number of benign bone tumors.
Remember that things like swelling can be a major cause for concern. This is because they only become noticeable once the tumor has grown. These can also be hard to spot because their source may lie deep inside the tissues, making them hard to notice until it's too late.
Underlying causes behind bone Cancer is still unclear. However, there are certain risk factors that have been identified. Most of them suggest that Estrogen, female hormone, plays an imperative role in development and progress of this cancer. It's known that women, having menstrual period for the first time before 11 or at a very later stage in their life, are more prone for developing this disease. The reason being that they remain exposed to higher levels of estrogen for a longer period of time. Again, count of menstrual cycle prior to first pregnancy is also considered significant. Experts believe that women having their first child below the age of 20 might be affected in the near future. Breastfeeding offers additional protective effect.
Bone cancer can present itself in any of the bones of the body, but it is diagnosed most often in the long bones of the arms and legs.
Apart from other critical cancer treatments, patients suffering from multiple myeloma, bone marrows can obtain significant benefits from this treatment. This is a case where supplementary techniques aren't enough for a complete cure for an advanced stage of cancer.
Signs and Symptoms
A lump or hard mass on the surface of a bone
Pain in the affected area
Weakening or fractures of the affected bone
Diagnosing bone cancer involves a number of tests, including: X-rays and bone scans to show the exact location and size of the cancer (these are always done prior to biopsy), bone biopsy where a small sample of the cancer is removed from the bone and examined in the laboratory for the presence of malignant cells, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan similar to a CT scan but uses magnetism instead of x-rays to build three-dimensional pictures of your body.
The treatment and prognosis of bone cancer depend upon multiple factors including the type and extent of the cancer, the patient's age and overall health status. Tumors may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these.
Some of these signs can be caused by calcium deposits from the bones making their way into the bloodstream, raising calcium levels to such a height that their build-up causes a tumor.
Most of the time surgery is the best way to treat the this cancer. During surgery, the whole tumor part is removed completely. After the surgery gets over, the pathologist checks whether the normal bone is present or still there is some signs of the cancer. If the remains of the cancer are traced then amputations are used to cure the bone cancer.
Treatment of multiple myeloma depends on the extent of the disease. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often used to relieve symptoms and repair bone damage. Exercise and adequate fluid intake are important to prevent immobilization and calcium imbalance. Back braces may help keep the patient active.
The other two methods are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is employed before the surgery to reduce the size of the tumor so that it will be easy to perform the surgery. Also if traces are left behind after the surgery the same method can be used to remove the cancer cells permanently. Also radiation therapy is preferred.
