July is Sarcoma/Bone Awareness Month!
- Jul 19, 2024
- 4 min read
Photo retrieved from istockphoto.com. Photo credits to Leonidas Santana.
July is Sarcoma/Bone Cancer Awareness Month. Sarcoma is a rare cancer that develops in the bones and tissues, such as fats, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, etc. Sarcoma accounts for less than 1% of all the cancers diagnosed in the U.S. There are multiple types of Bone Cancers, the most common types are Osteosarcoma & Ewing Sarcoma. This article will inform you of the information about Bone Cancer.
Primary Bone Cancer
The term Primary Bone Cancer are types of Bone Sarcomas that start in the bone, muscle, fat tissue, or other tissues as they can develop anywhere in the body. Below is a list of the most common types of Primary Bone Cancer:
The most common Primary Bone Cancer is called Osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma most commonly occurs in young age groups ranging from 10-30 years old. It is rare for elderly people to be diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, it is also more common in males than woman. The tumors often develop in the long bones; Arms, Legs or Pelvis.
Chondrosarcoma is the second most common Primary Bone Cancer. The cancer starts in early forms of Cartilage cells. The diagnosis is rare for people younger than 20 years old. The chances of being diagnosed with Chondrosarcoma goes up as you get older. It mostly occurs in the pelvic bone, legs or arms. Some start in the trachea, larynx, chest wall, etc.
Ewing Sarcoma is the most common Primary Bone Cancer that's diagnosed in children, teens, adults. It is rare for people young than 30 years old to be diagnosed. Ewing mostly starts in the bones of the pelvis, chest wall such as ribs or shoulder blades and bones of the legs and spine.
Stages of Bone Cancer
Stage 1: The tumor is low grade and the cancer cells are still localized.
Stage 2: The cancer cells are still localized but the tumor is high grade.
Stage 3: The tumor is high grade and cancer cells has spread within the same bone.
Stage 4: Cancer has spread to other areas within the body such as the lungs or liver.
Causes, Prevention & Symptoms
The causes of Bone Cancer has not been determined by experts yet. However, they have found links between Bone Cancer and radiation exposure or drug treatment for other cancers. Some bone cancers occur due to conditions that are passed down by family or hereditarily, Frequently, this is not the situation.
Prevention methods for bone cancer have not been identified yet. While it is not possible to completely prevent cancer from developing in the body, you can reduce your risk of being diagnosed with cancer by abstaining from certain behaviors, such as (and not limited to):
Tobacco
Unprotected sex as it may cause infections that contain cancer-causing bacteria.
Radiation such as sun exposure, tanning beds, etc.
Alcohol intake
Obesity & more
The most common symptom of bone cancer is pain, though not all types cause discomfort. Other signs include a lump that may feel soft and warm, often in the arms, legs, chest, or pelvis. Other signs could be unexplained fevers, and bones breaking for unknown reasons. It is important to see a doctor to determine the cause of any bone symptoms.
Treatment
There are 3 main types of treatment for Bone Cancer, it is radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery.
Radiation Therapy is more likely to be used when treating Ewing Sarcoma. This treatment process includes using high energy beams via X-rays, Protons or other sources to kill cancer cells. This process is usually used after surgery or to control the bone cancer whenever surgery is not an option. During the treatment you are to lie on a table while a machine moves around you directing the radiation to precise points in your body.
Chemotherapy is a treatment that depend on strong medicines. Most chemotherapy medicines are given through a vein or in pill form. There are multiple medicines for chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is usually used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells to lower the risk of Bone Cancer occurring in the body again or it is used prior to surgery to shrink the Bone Cancer so it is easier to remove. This treatment is more likely used for Osteosarcoma & Ewing Sarcoma. Not all bone cancers respond to this treatment.
Surgery is used as a treatment to hopefully remove all of the Cancer. Surgeons are likely to remove the Bone cancer and the healthy tissues around it, surgeons will repair the bone either with metal or plastic or using other bones in the body. In some cases, the surgeon will have to remove the entire leg or arm if the cancer is very large or if the cancer is difficult to remove due to its placement. If your leg or arm is removed you may have the option to use an artificial limb, it will take time to train with the new limb but you will be able to do your everyday tasks again.
We hope that this article informed you about Bone Cancer. Help spread awareness about Bone Cancer as it is one of the rare cancers. It is important to be aware of the symptoms and if you have similar symptoms, please contact a doctor or your nearest Oncology Center for a screening, early detection can save your life.
Below are sites that you may look at for more detailed information as these are the same sites that informed this article:
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