Osteosarcoma Bone Cancer Information

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Bone Cancer

Bone cancer is rare and includes several types. Some bone cancers, including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma, are often seen in children and young adults. A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from cancer in another body area, such as the lung, breast, thyroid, kidney, and prostate. There may be a lump, pain, or neurological signs from pressure. A bone tumor might present with a pathologic fracture. Symptoms may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, anemia, and nausea. Sometimes there are no symptoms, and the tumor is found when investigating another problem.

Main Digest

Alternate names for bone cancer include: Osteosarcoma, Bone Carcinoma, Ewing's Sarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Osteogenic Sarcoma, Multifocal Osteosarcoma, Metastatic Osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer. It usually affects the large bones of the arm or leg and occurs most often in younger individuals. It affects more males than females. In children and adolescents, tumors often appear in the knee bones.

The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has included Bone Cancer with distant metastases or inoperable or resectable as a Compassionate Allowance Program to expedite a disability claim.

Osteogenic Sarcoma is the 6th leading cancer in children under age 15. Osteogenic Sarcoma affects 400 children under the age of 20 and 500 adults (most between the ages of 15-30) every year in the USA. Approximately 1/3 of the 900 will die yearly, or about 300 a year.

The second peak in incidence occurs in the elderly, usually associated with an underlying bone pathology such as Paget's disease, Medullary infarct, or prior irradiation.

Although about 90% of patients can have limb-salvage surgery, complications, such as infection, prosthetic loosening, non-union, or local tumor recurrence, may cause the need for further surgery or amputation.

Symptoms of Bone Cancer

Many patients first complain of pain that may be worse at night and may have been occurring for some time.

If the tumor is large, it can appear as a swelling.

The affected bone is not as strong as normal bones and may fracture with minor trauma (a pathological fracture).

Biopsy, x-rays, or blood tests may diagnose the disease.

Most Osteosarcomas arise from random and unpredictable errors in the DNA of growing bone cells during intense bone growth. There currently isn't an effective way to prevent this type of cancer. But with the proper diagnosis and treatment, most kids with osteosarcoma recover.

If the tumor is inoperable or unresectable, radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be utilized, but the prognosis remains poor.

Inoperable or unresectable osteosarcoma will likely progress locally and may spread to the lungs. Radiation is effective as a palliative measure.

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