Bone cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in your bones. As a result, normal bone tissue is destroyed. The cancer may begin in your bones or spread to them from other parts of your body (called metastasis).
Bone cancer is an extremely rare disease.The majority of bone tumors are benign, which means they do not spread to other parts of your body. However, they may still weaken your bones and cause broken bones. Benign bone tumors can be classified into the following Types:
- Osteochondroma Bone cancer is the most common type of cancer. Usually, it occurs in people below the age of 20.
- Giant cell tumors usually occur in the leg. There are also cases in which these can be cancerous.
- Osteoid osteoma Bone cancer usually occurs in your early 20s in long bones.
- Osteoblastoma Bone cancer occurs most commonly in young adults, and usually affects the spine and long bones.
- Enchondroma Bone cancer It usually appears in the bones of your hands and feet. In many cases, there are no symptoms. Hand tumors of this type are the most common.
Symptoms and Causes
How do bone cancer symptoms look like?
Bone cancer can cause painless lumps with no symptoms. Others may experience a variety of symptoms. Other conditions, such as arthritis or Lyme disease, may also cause these symptoms, delaying diagnosis. Bone cancer is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Nighttime pain (usually worse).
- There is an unexplained swelling.
- Moving around is difficult.
- Fatigued (extra tired).
- Fever.
What causes bone cancer?
It is unclear what causes bone cancer, but experts have found links between it and other factors. When treating other cancers, radiation or drugs are the most important factors. The cause of some bone cancers is hereditary, although this is not the norm.
How is bone cancer diagnosed?
An X-ray is often used by your healthcare provider to diagnose bone cancer. Prior to receiving any treatment, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans are performed to provide more detailed images of the area around the bones.
An examination under a microscope of a small piece of bone tissue is performed by your healthcare provider to confirm the diagnosis. Biopsies provide specific information about the cancer, including its location. Providers can determine which treatment course will be most effective based on this information.
Bone Cancer Risk Factors
Bone cancer may be caused by the following factors:
Treatment for cancer. Those who have had radiation, stem cell transplants, or certain chemotherapy drugs for other cancers are more likely to develop bone tumors.
Conditions inherited from parents. Having a gene-related illness, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome or retinoblastoma, can increase your chances of getting bone cancer.
Bone disease caused by Paget's disease. It may also increase your chanc
Bone Cancer Treatment
A benign tumor may be treated with medication or your doctor may simply monitor it for changes. They may remove benign tumors that are more likely to spread or become cancerous. Even after treatment, tumors sometimes return.
Several specialists are needed to treat cancerous tumors. The type of treatment you receive will depend on several factors, including the extent of the spread, which experts use to determine the stage of the cancer. Bone tumors that contain only cancer cells surrounding the tumor are called "localized" tumors. Those that spread to or from other areas of your body are more serious and harder to treat.
Common treatments for bone cancer include:
- Limb salvage surgery. Doctors remove bone cancerous portions but leave nearby muscles, tendons, and other tissues intact. The bone was replaced with a metallic implant.
- Amputation. Your doctor may remove the limb if the tumor is large or reaches your nerves and blood vessels. Afterwards, you may receive a prosthetic limb.
- Radiation therapy. By using strong X-rays, this kills cancer cells and shrinks tumors. Along with surgery, doctors often use it.
- Radiation therapy. By using strong X-rays, this kills cancer cells and shrinks tumors. Along with surgery, doctors often use it.
Disclaimer
The above blog is for information purposes only. We recommend contacting experts for diagnosis and treatment.
