Bone Cancer
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.
Primary bone cancers are called sarcomas. There are several different types of sarcoma
and each type begins in a different kind of bone tissue. The most common
sarcomas are osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma.
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. This cancer forms in the middle part (shaft)
of large bones and most often affects the hip bones and long bones in the thigh
and upper arm, but can also occur in the ribs. Chondrosarcoma is a type of
tumor that forms in the cartilage (rubbery tissue around the joints) and are
found mainly in adults. Other types of
bone cancer include fibrosarcoma (malignant giant cell tumor) and chordoma.
These are rare cancers and most often affects people over thirty.
The most common symptom of bone
cancer is pain. However, symptoms may vary depending on the location and size
of the cancer. Sometimes firm, slightly
tender lump on the bone can be felt through the skin. Sometimes bone cancer
interferes with normal movements and can also weaken or cause bones to break.
Tumors that occur in or near joints may cause swelling and tenderness in the
affected area. Other symptoms may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, and
anemia. It is important to check with a
doctor when you experience these symptoms, but these symptoms can also be
caused by other less serious conditions.
Treatment for some bone tumors may
involve surgery,
such as limb amputation. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective in
some tumors (such as Ewing's sarcoma) but less so in others (such as
chondrosarcoma). After treatment has been done for bone cancer, it is very
important that regular follow-up or check-ups are done with your doctor, to be
sure that cancer has not come back and treat it promptly if it does. Check-ups may be physical exam, x-rays,
scans, blood tests, and other laboratory tests.
People who
have been diagnosed of bone cancer may have many physical, emotional, practical
worries. They may worry that removal of
a limb or other surgery will affect not only how they look but how other people
would feel about them. Patients can be
helped to overcome all these through special support groups for youngsters with
cancer and their families. The American
Cancer Society, for example, is a nonprofit organization that has many services
for patients and their familes.