bone cancer symptom

Bone Cancer is the most common malignant growth that occurs in bone results from cancer that has spread from other parts of the body - secondary bone cancer. Bone cancer can be extremely painful and frightening for the children and adults that it strikes. Cancer that arises in the bone itself is primary bone cancer. All forms are rare. The best bone cancer treatments combine several types of therapies. For example, our surgeons, oncologists, and radiation therapists work together to improve the success rates of bone cancer surgery by using chemotherapy treatments prior to surgery.

The most common forms of primary bone cancer are:

1. Osteosarcoma , which occurs primarily in growing bone tissue. Osteosarcoma also called osteogenic sarcoma, arises in bone-forming cells. It can occur at any age but is most common between 10 and 20. Any bone can be affected, but more than half of all osteosarcomas develop around the knee. Osteosarcoma causes a painful swelling of the affected bone.

2. Chondrosarcoma , which occurs in cartilage. Chondrosarcoma usually develops in middle age, and the tumour grows slowly in the early stages. Later it may spread to nearby soft tissues and to other parts of the body. The diagnosis can only be made by biopsy, and treatment is by surgical removal of the tumour. In some cases, amputa-tion of the bone above the tumour is advised to improve the chance of cure.

3. Ewing's sarcoma , which arises primarily in immature tissue in bone marrow. If Ewing's sarcoma is suspected from its X-ray appearance and confirmed by biopsy, CAT and radionuclide scanning of the whole body is advised to discove whether, and how far, the cancer has spread Treatment is with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and sometimes by surgery. There is a good chance of cure if the diagnosis is early.

Depending on the type of cancer you have and whether it has spread, your doctor may use chemotherapy to:

· Eliminate all cancer cells in your body, even when cancer is widespread

· Prolong your life by controlling cancer growth and spread

· Relieve symptoms and enhance your quality of life

Symptoms of Bone Cancer

Here is the list of some of the common sign and symptoms of bone cancer :

· Weakened bones, sometimes leading to fractures

· Joint swelling and tenderness (for tumors in or near joints)

· Fatigue

· Fever

· Weight loss

· Anemia

In a few cases, bone cancers may have a hereditary component, such as in:

· Li-Fraumeni syndrome. This condition is characterized by an increased risk of many different cancers, including osteosarcoma, leukemia, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and others.

· Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. This condition causes short stature, skeletal problems and rashes, and increases risk of bone cancer.

· Hereditary retinoblastoma. Children with this rare cancer of the eye have an increased risk of osteosarcoma. · Multiple exostoses. Children with this inherited condition that causes cartilage bumps to form on your bones have an increased risk of chondrosarcoma.