This is a cancer type that begins in the bones and is called bone cancer. It may start in any bone, but in most cases, it negatively affects the thighbone. Furthermore, bone cancer does not include cancer that begins in other body parts and spreads to the bones. However, when the cancer spreads to the bones it is named according to the place where it starts. For instance, if lung cancer breaks and spreads to the bones, it is still called lung cancer anyway. Experts may call it lung cancer that metastasized.
Bone cancer occurs quite rarely. While some types of bone cancer happen in most cases in children, others are more common in adults.
Healthcare providers commonly recommend different treatments for people with bone cancer because it depends on multiple factors. For example the stage and type of the cancer, your age and preferences, overall health, and others. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and may include others if previous ones are not effective.
Bone Cancer Types
Check below the most common bone cancer types:
- Osteosarcoma – This mostly happens in children and may affect the pelvis, arms, or legs.
- Ewing sarcoma – This cancer type commonly occurs in children but may affect young adults, too. Usually, it begins in the bones, tissues, or organs, including the pelvis, wall of the chest, legs, or arms.
- Chondrosarcoma – This is the most common bone cancer type that happens mostly in adults over 40 years old. It often develops in cartilage cells and may appear anywhere there is cartilage.
- Chordoma – This is a bone cancer type that usually grows slowly and appears in the spine bones and the skull base. In most cases, it is diagnosed in adults over 30 years old. Moreover, males are more prone to developing it than females.
However, there are other bone cancer types that occur less commonly. For example:
- Fibrous dysplasia
- Enchondroma
- Aneurysmal bone cyst
- Osteoid osteoma
- Chondroblastoma
- Giant cell tumor
- Osteochondroma
- Unicameral bone cyst
- Nonssifying fibroma
Symptoms
People with bone cancer usually experience the following symptoms. Check below for some of them:
- Bone pain
- Extreme tiredness (also known as fatigue)
- Bone weakness (that increases the risk of bone fracture)
- Tenderness and swelling near the affected region
- Unusual weight loss
If any of the symptoms listed above occur, immediately visit your healthcare professional.
Causes
Experts cannot identify the exact cause of bone cancer in most cases. However, it begins to develop when DNA changes occur in bone cells. The DNA of the cells contains instructions that tell them when to grow, multiply, and die. DNA changes (mutations) give the cells different instructions that make them grow and multiply abnormally. When the abnormal cells become too much, they usually form a mass called a tumor that invades healthy tissues and destroys them. Without treatment, the tumor may break and spread to other body parts (such as the lungs). Healthcare professionals usually call it metastatic cancer when it spreads.
Risk Factors
There are some factors that may elevate your risk of developing bone cancer. For example:
- Inherited genetic syndromes – For example, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, hereditary retinoblastoma, and others. People with these genetic syndromes may get an abnormal gene from their biological parents. If you know that you have a family history of bone cancer, you should perform genetic testing before pregnancy.
- Bone disease – There are some bone conditions that may increase the risk of developing bone cancer. For example, Paget’s disease of the bone, fibrous dysplasia, and others.
- Cancer treatment – People who follow a cancer treatment that includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and others also are at increased risk of developing this cancer type.
Unfortunately, there are no sure ways to prevent this cancer type.
Diagnosis
In most cases, physicians diagnose bone cancer by using imaging tests and sometimes may remove a small sample of the tissue and test it in the laboratory for cancer cells (biopsy). Below are some tests involved in bone cancer diagnosis:
Imaging Tests
The following tests are used to get detailed images of the affected bone. These tests can determine the size and exact location of bone cancer. For example:
- X-ray
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- CT (computerized tomography)
- PET (positron emission tomography)
- Bone scan
Biopsy
This is a procedure in which doctors use a needle or remove a small sample of the affected bone during surgery and send it to the laboratory for testing. Thereafter, doctors will check the bone sample under a microscope for cancerous cells.
In addition, if you are diagnosed with bone cancer, physicians may perform additional tests to determine the stage (extent) of the cancer because it will help doctors make the best treatment plan for you.
Treatment
In most cases, the treatment for bone cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. However, which treatments you will need depends on several factors. These include the stage and location of the cancer, overall health, and others.
Surgery
This treatment option is used to remove the cancer. Sometimes, surgeons may remove a small amount of healthy tissue around the tumor. During this surgery, physicians may repair the bone by using a small piece of bone from another body part. However, when it is not possible surgeons use metal or plastic material.
In some cases, surgeons may remove an arm or leg completely to remove all the cancer. However, it happens quite rarely if the cancer grows very large and is located in a difficult place to remove. People who have had an arm or leg removed may choose an artificial limb.
Chemotherapy
This treatment involves strong medications usually given intravenously (IV), but a pill form is also available. For people with bone cancer, chemotherapy is usually prescribed after surgery to destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery. Sometimes, it may be recommended before surgery to shrink the tumor, increasing the chances of a successful surgery.
Unfortunately, not all bone cancer types respond to chemotherapy. Commonly, physicians prescribe chemotherapy drugs for people with osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.
Radiation Therapy
This treatment option is used to destroy cancer cells by using a powerful energy beam that often comes from X-rays, protons, or other sources. During this treatment, the patient lies down on a table while a specific machinery goes around it and directs the energy beams to the tumor.
Radiation therapy can be used as primary treatment if surgery is not an option. Moreover, this treatment is less commonly used in people with chondrosarcoma or osteosarcoma.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the survival rate for bone cancer?
Generally, the 5-year survival rate is approximately 70% for all types of bone cancer. The survival rate significantly drops if the cancer breaks and spreads to other body tissues and organs.
Is it possible to cure bone cancer?
This cancer type can be cured if it does not spread throughout the body. Furthermore, this cancer type is much easier to cure than other ones, such as lung cancer. For more details, discuss it with your healthcare professional.
What are the possible complications of bone cancer?
People with this cancer type may experience some complications. For example:
- Hypercalcemia that may lead to nausea, vomiting, constipation, and confusion
- Bowel and urinary incontinence
- Increased risk of bone fractures
- Bone pain and weakness
This article does not contain all possible bone cancer complications. If you have additional questions, ask your healthcare provider.
