Bone Cancer - One Of The Rarest Forms Of Malignancy!

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by: RichardHEalom
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INTRODUCTION: True bone cancer (aka primary bone cancer) affects over 2,000 people in the United States each year. Cancer that originates in the bone - primary bone cancer - is rare. Early diagnosis and treatment of this disease increases the likelihood of survival. Children and young people are more likely than adults to develop cancer of the bones. In the past, amputation was common for bone cancer in an arm or leg.

CAUSE: Often, when people have bone cancer, it is caused by cancer that has metastasized ( spread ) from another place in the body to the bones rather than true cancer of bone cells.

TYPES: There are over 100 types of cancer, and each kind is named after the organ or tissue from which it came. Certain kinds of cancers are particularly likely to spread (metastasize) to the bones. It is important to remember that when these other types of cancer metastasize to the bone, they are still named for the tissue or organ where they came from and are not called "bone" cancer.

Many different forms of cancer are able to metastasize to the bones. The most common forms of malignancies that spread to the bones are lung, breast, prostate, thyroid, and kidney.

There are several types of sarcomas of the bone, depending upon the kind of bone tissue where the tumor developed. The most common types of primary bone cancer are osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma. Other, more rare types include fibrosarcoma, malignant giant cell tumor, and chordoma.

SYMPTOMS: The symptoms of bone malignancy tend to happen slowly and depend on the kind, location, and size of the tumor. Pain is the most frequent sign of bone cancer and doctors often use radiation therapy to shrink tumors to reduce the pressure, pain or other symptoms they may produce.

TREATMENT: Treatment depends on the form of bone cancer, as well as its location, size and stage. It may involve chemotherapy with multiple drugs as well as radiation therapy and surgery to get rid of the primary tumor.

Treating cancer that has spread to the bones (metastatic cancer) depends on the form of cancer (the tissue where it originated) and the extent of the spread. As with other malignancies, treatment depends on the size, type, location and stage of the cancer, including whether it has metastasized to the lungs or other parts of your body, and your overall health.

Your physician may suggest using radiation therapy at various times during your treatment and for various reasons, such as before surgery to shrink a cancerous growth or after surgery to end the growth of any remaining cancer cells.

A well-coordinated team of physicians - including surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists who are familiar with treating sarcomas - is a must for increasing the chance you'll be able to have limb-sparing treatment. In some cases, chemotherapy may be the only treatment necessary. More often, physicians use it in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery or radiation, for better results.

CONCLUSION: In contrast to cancers which have spread to the bone, true bone cancers are tumors that arise from the tissues of the bones. These cancers, called primary bone cancers, are quite rare in comparison to cancers that have spread to the bones.

Pain is the most frequent symptom of bone malignancy, but sometimes a lump on the bone can be felt through the skin. It is very rare to have a true bone cancer, one that arises from cells that make up the bone.

The treatment and prognosis of the disease depends upon multiple factors including the type and extent of the cancer, the patient's age and overall health status. Bone cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these.

About the Author

Concerning The writer: R. Ealom is the writer of this article and the writer of "Free Articles On Diseases: Ways To Prevent and Even Cure Them". Want more Facts Please visit our websites@Diabetes & Cancer Secrets OR Go To Heart Disease & Obesity Secrets. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.

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