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Bone Cancer

Page Contents:
1 . What is Bone Cancer?
2. Bone cancer symptoms
3. Bone Cancer Types
4. Bone Cancer Diagnosis
5. Staging of Bone Cancer
6. What will happen after treatment?
7. Causes of Bone Cancer
8. Bone Cancer Treatment
9. Can Bone Cancer Be Prevented?
10. Managing Bone Cancer Pain
11. Sources and references
12. Doctors who treat this condition
Bone cancer is an uncommon type of cancer, they make up less than 1% of cancers.[3] that begins when cells in the bone start to grow out of control.[1]
Bone cancer can affect any bone in the body, but it most commonly affects the pelvis or the long bones of the legs or upper arms.[2]
The pain of bone cancer can sometimes be wrongly mistaken for arthritis in adults or osteoporosis, Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor to diagnose the condition and receive the necessary treatment accurately.[4] through Estecharat.
Bone Cancer

Common Bone Cancer Symptoms

Some people with bone cancer have no symptoms, Or they may have symptoms that are caused by a different medical condition. [3]
The common symptoms include:
 
*Bone pain… 
Bone pain is the most common sign of bone cancer, and may become more noticeable as the tumor grows. the pain may only be worse at night, or when the patient is active. As the cancer develops, though, the pain may become worse and more persistent.[4]
 
 
*Swelling or Lump…
The area where the bone pain is localized may begin to show signs of swelling, the patient may notice a lump or swelling, although this may not occur until weeks after the onset of the bone pain.[4] Some people who have bone cancer are able to feel a lump if the bone tumor is in a location that can be detected by touch.[6]
Cancers in the bones of the neck can sometimes cause a lump in the back of the throat that can lead to trouble swallowing or breathing.[5]
 
*Bone Fractures…
Cancerous cells can weaken the bone, and this may sometimes result in a fracture. The break may occur in an area of the bone that had previously been sore or painful for a period of time.[4] People with a fracture next to or through a bone tumor usually describe sudden severe pain in a bone that had been sore for a few months.[5]
 
 *Decreased mobility…
In some cases, if the location of the tumor is near a joint, it may make normal movements difficult or painful. A tumor located around the knee, for example, may interfere with the ability to bend, flex, or even put pressure on that joint, making it difficult to walk or move around with ease.[4]
*Other symptoms…
 
>Cancer in the bones of the spine can press on the nerves coming out of the spinal cord. This can cause numbness and tingling or even weakness in different parts of the body, depending on where the tumor is. [5]

>Difficulty breathing may develop if the cancer has spread to other organs, such as the lungs. [4]

>a high temperature. [2]

>weight loss and fatigue. [2]

>sweating, particularly at night. [2]

>Anemia in some rare cases.

Bone Cancer Types

 
*Osteosarcoma: is the most common type of bone sarcoma and typically starts in bone cells in the arms, legs, or pelvis,[9] Teens and young adults are most likely to get it, but another form is common in adults who have Paget’s disease of bone.[7] The risk of osteosarcoma is highest among children and adolescents ages 10 and 19.[8] Osteosarcoma is more common in males than females.
 
*Chondrosarcoma: begins in tissue called cartilage. It is more common in adults. happens most often in people between the ages of 40 and 70. Your hip, pelvis, leg, arm, and shoulder are common sites of this cancer, [7]
 
 *Ewing sarcoma: is the second most common type of bone cancer in people aged between 10 and 20, it is very rare.[10] This is a rapidly growing tumor that often spreads to distant sites in the body, such as the lungs,[11] ribs, pelvis, leg, and upper arm are the most common sites. It can also start in the soft tissue around the bones.[7]. It is more common in boys than girls.[12] 

Bone Cancer Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history and do a physical exam. They’ll look at pictures of your bones through imaging tests such as:
 
*X-rays: An X-ray of the bone is often the first test done if some type of bone tumor is suspected. Tumors might look “ragged” instead of solid on an X-ray, or they might look like a hole in the bone.
 
*CT scans: (Computed Tomography Scans): they are often done to look for possible cancer spread in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or other organs, CT scans can also be used to guide a biopsy needle into a tumor.
 
*MRI scans (Magnetic Resonance Imaging):  MRIs can help determine the exact extent of a tumor, as they can show the marrow inside bones and the soft tissues around the tumor, including nearby blood vessels and nerves. MRIs can also show any small bone tumors several inches away from the main tumor (called skip metastases). Knowing the extent of the tumor is very important when planning surgery.
 
*PET scans(Positron Emission Tomography Scans): a small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein, Because cancer cells in the body are growing quickly, they absorb large amounts of sugar. PET scans can help show the spread of bone cancer to the lungs, other bones, or other parts of the body. They can also be used to see how well the cancer is responding to treatment.
 
*Bone scans: A bone scan can show if cancer has spread to other bones and injects a different radioactive material into your vein. It collects in your bones, where a scanner can see it. [7][5]
A procedure called a biopsy can confirm a diagnosis. Your doctor takes a sample of the tumor with a needle or through a cut in your skin. A trained technician looks at the tissue or cells under a microscope. They can tell if your tumor is benign or a primary or secondary cancer. They can know how fast it’s growing.

Staging of Bone Cancer

Once these tests have been completed, it should be possible to tell you what stage and grade the bone cancer is. Staging is a description of how far cancer has spread in the future.
 
A widely used staging system for bone cancer in the UK uses 3 main stages:
stage 1 – the cancer is low-grade and has not spread beyond the bone
stage 2 – the cancer has still not spread beyond the bone, but is a high-grade
stage 3 – the cancer has spread into other parts of the body, such as the lungs.
Most cases of stage 1 bone cancer and some stage 2 bone cancers have a good chance of being cured.
Unfortunately, stage 3 bone cancer is more difficult to cure, although treatment can relieve symptoms and slow the spread of cancer.[10]

Causes of Bone Cancer

The reason why Bone cancers is often not known, but certain things can increase your chance of developing bone cancer, including:
_due to hereditary conditions
_previous radiotherapy treatment
_other bone conditions, such as Paget’s disease of the bone
_rare genetic conditions, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Bone Cancer Treatment

Treatment for bone cancer depends on the type of bone cancer you have, how far it has spread, and your general health. The main treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.[10]
 
1. Surgery
Surgery is an important part of treatment for most types of bone cancer. The main goal of surgery is to remove all of the cancer. If even a small amount of cancer is left behind, it might grow and make a new tumor, and might even spread to other parts of the body. To lower the risk of this happening, surgeons remove the tumor plus some of the normal tissue around it.[13]
Bone cancer surgeries include:
 
*Limb salvage surgery: means that surgical intervention occurs without having to amputate the limb.[11] Your doctor removes the part of the bone with cancer but not nearby muscles, tendons, or other tissues. The surgeon replaces the missing bone with some bone from another area of the body, material from a bone bank, or a replacement made of metal and hard plastic.
The goal of limb-salvage surgery is to remove all of the cancer and still leave a working leg or arm.[13]
 
*Amputation: If a tumor is large or reaches your nerves and blood vessels, your doctor might remove the limb. You may get a prosthetic limb afterward.[7]
After an amputation, most people use an artificial limb to replace the removed limb. These limbs are now very advanced and convenient to use. For example, people with an artificial leg are often able to walk, run and play sports, and have an excellent quality of life.[10]
 
2. Radiation therapy
is the use of high-energy such as X-rays to destroy cancer cells.
For bone sarcoma, radiation therapy is most often used for a tumor that cannot be removed with surgery. Radiation therapy may also be done before surgery to shrink the tumor, or it may be done after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy may also be used to relieve pain for people as part of palliative care[14]
 
3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells, usually by keeping the cancer cells from growing, dividing, and making more cells.
usually delivered through a vein (intravenously).
Fast-growing types of bone sarcoma are often treated with chemotherapy before surgery.[14]
For example, chemotherapy is generally not very effective for chondrosarcoma, but it’s an important part of treatment for osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.

What will happen after treatment?


You’ll be glad once the treatment is over. But it can be hard not to worry about cancer coming back. You will need to see your cancer doctor for years after treatment ends. At first, your visits may be every few months. Then, the longer you’re cancer-free, the less often the visits are needed. Having cancer and dealing with treatment can be hard, but it can also be a time to look at your life in new ways.[13]

Can Bone Cancer Be Prevented?

 
there is currently no known way to prevent Bone cancer. And because radiation therapy (another known cause of bone cancer) is necessary for treating other types of cancer, it can’t be avoided altogether.[13]

Managing Bone Cancer Pain

 
Bone cancer can be incredibly painful, there are many treatment options to ease the pain, including medications, radiation therapy, and an innovative treatment called cryoablation.[6]

Doctors who treat this condition

 
*A medical oncologist: a doctor who uses chemotherapy and other medicines to treat cancer.
 
*An orthopedic surgeon: a doctor who uses surgery to treat bone and joint problems. Often this is an orthopedic oncologist, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in treating cancer of the bones and joints.

*A physiatrist: a doctor specializing in rehabilitation and physical therapy.

*A radiation oncologist: a doctor who uses radiation to treat cancer.
 
Many other medical specialists may be involved in your care as well, including physician assistants (PAs) nurse practitioners (NPs), nurses, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation specialists, and other health professionals.
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bone-cancer/about/what-is-bone-cancer.html [1]
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bone-cancer/symptoms/ [2]
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17745-bone-cancer [3]
https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/bone-cancer/symptoms [4]
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bone-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html [5]
https://www.verywellhealth.com/bone-cancer-signs-symptoms-and-complications-4161169#complications [6]
https://www.webmd.com/cancer/bone-tumors#1-5 [7]
https://www.cancer.gov/types/bone/bone-fact-sheet#what-are-the-symptoms-of-bone-cancer [8]
https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/bone-cancer#bone-cancer-types [9]
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bone-cancer/ [10]
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171372#types [11]
https://medlineplus.gov/bonecancer.html#cat_92 [12]
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bone-cancer/treating/surgery.html [13]
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/bone-cancer-sarcoma-bone/types-treatment [14]

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