Bone Tumour (Bone Cancer)

Cancer that begins in bone (primary bone cancer) is differentfrom cancer that begins somewhere else in the body and spreads to bone(secondary bone cancer). Primary bone cancer affects more males than females,and is rare. In 2001, doctors were expected to diagnose about 2,900 new casesof bone and joint cancer. Some types of bone cancer affect mostly teenagers.

Causes Symptoms Manage Approaches Investigation Testimonials

Exact cause is not known yet.

Three main types of bone cancer are involved in about 75percent of all cases:

Osteosarcoma, the most common bone cancer,usually develops in tissues in the growing bones of children and adolescents,age 10-25. It typically occurs around the knee. Other common locations includethe upper leg and upper arm. Osteosarcoma can also affect the elderly inassociation with Paget disease
Chondrosarcoma develops in cartilage andusually affects adults, age 50-60.
Theupper leg, pelvis and shoulder are common sites.
Ewing'ssarcoma may begin in immature cells in the bone marrow and usually affectschildren and adolescents, age 10-20. The upper leg, arm, pelvis and ribs arethe main locations.
Some common benign tumors include giant celltumor, unicameral bone cyst, osteoid osteoma and benign cartilage tumors.

In many cases, benign bone tumors need no treatment otherthan observation. Certain benign tumors can become malignant and metastasize.
Sometimes,your doctor may recommend removing the tumor (excision) or using other treatmenttechniques to reduce the risk of fracture and disability. Some tumors may comeback after removal.

Treatment goals include curing the cancer and preservingbodily functions. Doctors often combine several methods of treatment formalignant bone tumors depending upon various factors including whether thecancer has spread. Localized stage cancer cells are contained to the tumor andsurrounding area. Metastatic stage cancer cells have spread elsewhere in thebody. This stage is more serious and harder to cure. Local treatments includesurgery and radiation therapy: Limb salvage surgery removes the canceroussection of bone while preserving nearby tendons, nerves and blood vessels.
Ifpossible, the doctor will excise the entire tumor and a margin of healthytissue around it. He or she will replace the excised bone and joint with a bonetransplant or a metallic replacement (prosthesis). Amputation removes all orpart of an arm or leg when the tumor is large and/or nerves or blood vesselsare involved. Radiation therapy uses high-dose X-rays to kill cancer cells andshrink tumors. Additional treatments are used for cancer that has spread:Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Youtake it by pill or needle injection into a vein or muscle. After treatment Whentreatment for a bone tumor is finished, you may need more X-rays and otherimaging studies to confirm that it is actually gone. You may need to haveregular doctor visits and tests every few months. When the tumor disappears,it’s important to monitor your body for its possible return (relapse).

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
Homoeopathy can help as a complimentary system of medicine in relieving the pains as well as preventing further complications caused due to the bone cancer.

Your doctor will probably take a series of X-rays to see thetumor’s exact location, level of activity and other characteristics. If thetumor looks like it might be cancer, you may also need additional imagingstudies such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT scan (computed tomography)or ultrasonography plus laboratory tests on blood and urine samples to providemore details about the extent of disease. Biopsy:Your doctor will probably need to remove a tissue sample (biopsy) from thetumor to examine by microscope. Biopsy can reveal the presence of cancer cells,the type of tumor and its degree of malignancy (grade). Investigations – Routine Blood, Tumor markers, CT Scan, MRI,Bone Scan, Biopsy

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