Bone cancer is serious although quite rare for adults, in whom it represents less than 1% of the total number of cancers. Bone pain or fractures can be a clinical sign of bone cancer. What are its causes and symptoms?
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A tumor Malignant bone is a type of cancer that affects any bone in the body. It often affects the long bones of the arms and thighs, the spine and the bowl. It can be of 2 types:
- primary bone tumor, which grows directly into healthy bone
- secondary bone tumor, which starts in any other organ and then spreads to the bones
Tumors bone rarely cause death, but can be dangerous and require treatment. Some types are benign, meaning they are not carcinogenic, and others are malignant. However, even benign tumors can grow and compromise bone structure. Malignant and carcinogenic tumors can spread through the body.
What are the types of bone tumours?
There are several types of bone lesions. Some types affect children more, others more adults. Some of these lesions appear as spots on imaging examinations, but are not considered true tumors, they are benign.
Among the most common malignant bone tumors:
- Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. It mainly affects the bones of the knees, shoulders and hips.
- The Ewing’s tumor mainly affects children, adolescents and young adults. The bones most frequently affected are those of the thighs, arms, legs and pelvis.
- the chondrosarcoma mainly affects adults. It is a malignant tumor forming cartilage. It mainly affects the bones of the thighs, arms and pelvis.
What causes bone cancer?
It is still not known what causes most bone tumors. Doctors believe that the disease begins with an error in theDNA cells, which would cause the cell to grow and divide. This accumulation would form a massor tumor, which can invade neighboring areas and reach other parts of the body.
Certain situations can increase the likelihood of illness:
- the syndromes genetics, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome and retinoblastoma hereditary
- a pre-existing bone disease, such as Paget’s diseasewhich mainly affects adults and the elderly
- exposure to high levels ofirradiationsuch as those used to treat previous cancers
People with kidney cancer, breast cancer, prostateof lungof digestive tract and some thyroid are more likely to have secondary bone tumors.
What are the symptoms of bone tumours?
From symptoms bone cancers include:
- Bone pain
- Swelling and tenderness near the affected area
- Fatigue
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fever
If any of the above symptoms appear, a doctor should be consulted. The specialist in this cancer is the rheumatologist.
What are the treatments for bone cancer?
Treatment options of the tumor bone depend on the type, stage, general health of the patient and his pathologies. Treatment may involve surgerythe chemotherapyradiotherapy or a combination of these methods.
In the case of cancer of the bone tissue, called osteosarcoma, additional treatment with the drug mifamurtide may also be prescribed.
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