INTRODUCTION:
Bone is made up of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Bone is an important part of the body because it is crucial for the skeleton. The human’s shape is based on the bone. Bone helps us to work, run, and do other mundane daily tasks properly. Bone density is also important because if you have bones but their density is low, you won’t be able to work properly. Bone cancer doesn’t include cancers that spread everywhere. In fact, this cancer remains where it began, such as breast cancer that has metastasized to the bone.
Symptoms
The following are signs and symptoms of bone cancer:
- Bone pain: This may begin as a dull ache that worsens with exercise or feels worse at night.
- Swelling: Swelling around the damaged area of bone – Swelling may not appear until the tumor is fairly large, and it isn’t always feasible to see or feel a lump if the affected bone is deep within the body.
- Bone deterioration: a bone may break suddenly, or after only a minor fall or accident if the bone has been weakened by cancer.
- Fatigue: people feel low in energy due to cancerous growth in the body.
- Reduced movement: If it is in a leg bone, it can cause a limp; if it is in the backbone (spine), it can press on nerves and produce tingling and numbness in the legs or arms.
Bone malignancies:
They are classified according to the type of cell that started the tumor. The most prevalent kinds of bone cancer are:
Osteosarcoma: Osteosarcoma is the most frequent type of bone cancer. Cancerous cells in this tumor generate bone. This type of bone cancer is more common in children and young people, and it arises in the bones of the leg or arm. Extra skeletal osteosarcomas are rare.
Chondrosarcoma: Chondrosarcoma is the second most prevalent type of bone cancer. Cancerous cells in this tumor create cartilage. Chondrosarcoma most commonly affects middle-aged and older adults in the pelvis, legs, or arms.
Ewing sarcoma: Ewing sarcoma tumors most usually occur in children’s pelvis, legs, or arms.
Risk factors:
It is not yet clear what the cause of the cancer is, which shows that the cause is unknown, but there are some contributing risk factors that are associated with an increased risk.
Genetics: Certain genes contain this rare genetic syndrome that passes from family to family, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome and hereditary retinoblastoma.
Age: Paget’s disease of bone is related to age. That is why we usually refer to it as an age-related disease that increases the risk of bone cancer.
Radiation: Exposure to large doses of radiation increases the risk of bone cancer.
Treatment:
Chemotherpay, radiation, and medications are recommended for bone cancer, but it will depend upon the severity of the cancer which option will be best. No home medication is allowed because there is a side effect of every tablet, and taking tablets on their own can worsen the situation and add pain to your existing symptoms.
Adverse consequences of chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is suggested in most cases of bone cancer; hence, it will help reduce the severity of the disease, but it has a lot of side effects. The negative effects of various chemotherapy treatments vary. Some people experience only a few adverse effects, while others experience several. It’s difficult to predict how things will turn out for you. The majority of side effects are transient and gradually vanish once medication is discontinued.
Never miss your follow up:
When your treatment is complete, your doctor will discuss the following steps with you. They will go over some of the long-term hazards of bone cancer and its treatment for you. They will make appointments to see you in a clinic to check on your progress.
Test for bone cancer:
You can go straight to a bone cancer specialist, or you can see specialists with more general experience first. They will be the best choice to get treated for bone cancer. There are several investigations that help the doctor determine the severity of the bone cancer.
- X-rays
- bone scans
- biopsies
- MRI and/or CT scans
If you’re diagnosed with bone cancer and are not already seeing a specialist bone doctor, you’ll be referred to one.
If the tests show you have bone cancer, you might need a few more tests to check how your body is working in general:
- blood tests
- tests to check your heart is healthy
- chest X-rays to check your lungs are healthy
- tests to check your kidneys are healthy – you may need to give a sample of urine) to be tested
CONCLUSION:
Bone cancer affects most children and adults. The reason for bone cancer is unknown, and the causes are still unidentified. The risk factors are genetics and lifestyle. We can lower the chance of bone cancer by altering our lifestyle and adapting to a healthy lifestyle. Exercise and a good diet can help us get healthy and strengthen our immune systems to fight pathogens. Symptoms of bone cancer include weakening bones, pain, and being unable to move bones properly. These symptoms can be cured if bone cancer is detected early.
