Bone Cancer

• Pain in the affected area
• Swelling of the bone
• Fracture without any significant injury

Bone cancer is a rare disease, and its causes are not known. However, the researchers have pointed out that in some cases these cancers can be linked to hereditary factors. In contrast, others might be related to previous cancer treatments or radiation exposure.

That said, doctors have found certain factors that may increase the risk of bone cancer. These include:

• Paget's disease of bone: This generally occurs in older adults and increases the risk of bone cancer.
• Cancer treatment: Bone cancer sometimes occurs in people who have been undergone cancer treatments like radiation therapy, specific chemotherapy, or stem cell transplants.
• Hereditary Conditions: Certain rare hereditary diseases like Li-Fraumeni syndrome and retinoblastoma increases the risk of bone cancer.

Bone cancer can be classified into primary and secondary bone cancers.

Primary Bone Cancer

• Osteosarcoma: These are the most common type of bone cancer, which develops in the cells that form bones. Children and adolescents have a high risk of developing this type of bone cancer. These are often included around the knees and upper arm.
• Ewing sarcoma: This type of bone cancer appears in the pelvis, legs, or arms of children and young adults. The tumor is usually formed in the bones and surrounding soft tissues.
• Chondrosarcoma: This appears in cartilage, a soft connective tissue that helps in the movement between bones and joints. This type of bone cancer usually occurs in the arms, leg, or pelvis bones. 

Secondary Bone Cancer

Stages will help to determine the size and location of the bone cancer. It also denotes whether cancerous cells have invaded other parts of the body or not. The stages can be classified as follows:

• Stage I: This denotes that the cancer is low-grade and has not spread from its original location. The tumor in this stage measures less or more than eight centimeters across.
• Stage II: The tumor may be the same size as the stage I tumor but is high grade. This means that the cancer is more aggressive than Stage I, though it is still localized.
• Stage III: The tumor is high-grade (aggressive) has spread to parts of the same bone. However, it has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs.
• Stage IV: This is the most advanced stage of bone cancer where the tumour may appear in more than one location and have spread to other organs like lungs, lymph nodes, or other parts of the body.

Your doctor will ask for specific imaging tests to determine the location and size of the bone tumor. You may get different tests like bone scan, CT scan, MRI, PET, X-ray, and more to confirm the tumor. Once it is identified, your healthcare provider will come up with the best treatment for bone cancer. These may include:

Surgery

The surgeon may perform surgery to remove the cancerous tumor from the bone. In most cases, the surgeon takes out a small portion of the cancerous tissues and some healthy tissues surrounding them. The surgeon then replaces the lost bone with some bone from another part of the body or artificial implants (endoprosthesis) made of metal and plastic. In some cases, an entire limb might be removed to treat bone cancer. In this case, the surgeon will use an artificial limb, commonly called a prosthetic, after the surgery. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is also one of the treatments for bone cancer. The doctor injects chemo drugs into the body to kill bone cancer cells. In most cases, there is a combination of several chemotherapy drugs. The chemo drugs are given into veins. 

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses X-rays and protons to kill the cancer cells present in the part of the body. During this therapy, the patient is laid down on a table. Then, large machines move around them, directing the beams to the specific points on the body. Radiation therapy may be used in combination with surgery or as primary treatment (Ewing sarcoma) or as a palliative measure for secondary bone cancer.

Targeted Therapy

Some targeted drugs are given to the patient during this therapy to target specific abnormalities present within the cancer cells. This therapy can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy to kill the cancer-causing cells. 

As there are no known causes for bone cancers, researchers look into what factors are responsible for bone cancer and how to prevent it. Currently, there are no known ways to prevent bone cancer. Early detection of a bone tumor may be considered the best chance for a successful treatment. That said, one can take some measures to reduce the risk of bone cancer, including:

1. Avoid exposure to radiation
2. Avoid the use of tobacco
3. Healthy diet
4. Exercising regularly

Most cases of bone cancer are treated successfully. However, in some cases, people might not survive bone cancer. That said, the percentage of survivors is pretty high. If one looks at localized (not spread to other parts of body) osteosarcoma, one can expect a 5- year survival of up to 75 % or even more. This means out of 100 people, up-to 75% people are alive after five years of their diagnosis, with a very high likelihood of cure.

It is essential to follow up with your healthcare team after the treatment to monitor your progress or look for signs of the cancer recurring.

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