Bone Cancer : Type, Symptom, Risk Factor, Diagnosis, Stage, Treatment, And Drug

A Bone cancer is a neoplastic growth of tissue in bone.Primary cancer originates in bone or from bone-derived cells and tissues.Secondary cancer originates in other sites and metastasizes to the skeleton.Bone is the substance that forms the skeleton of the body.It is composed of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate.Bone serves as a storage area for calcium, playing a large role in calcium balance in the blood.

The Types of Bone Cancer :

• Osteosarcoma cancer begins in bone cells that make new bone tissue.It usually forms at the end of long bones, including the leg bones but can form in any bone.Teenagers and Adults over than 65 years old usually suffer this cancer.
• Ewing Sarcoma Cancer forms in the hip bones, the rib, or in the middle of long bones.It can form in soft tissue.The cancer occurs in teenagers and young adults.Localized Ewing Sarcoma is the cancer that is found in the bone or soft tissue.It begins and spreads to nearby tissue, such nearby as lymph nodes.Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma is the cancer that has spread from the bone or tissue.It begins to other parts of the body and spread to the lung, other bones, and bone marrow.

The Signs and symptoms Bone Cancer

• Bone pain
• Unexplained bone fractures
• Swelling and tenderness near the affected area
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fever
• Anemia

The Risk Factors of Bone Cancer

• Hereditary retinoblastoma
• A certain change in the retinoblastoma  gene
• Paget disease
• Bloom syndrome
• Werner syndrome
• Rothmund-Thomson syndrome
• Diamond-Blackfan anemia
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome
• Exposure to large doses of radiation

Diagnosis

Some tests and procedures are done to diagnose bone cancer.

• Medical history is about patient's health habit and past illnesses.
• Physical exam is an exam of the body to check general signs of health.
• Bone Scan is to check if there are rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells in the bone.
• Chest X-Ray is an x-ray of organs and bones inside the chest.
• Computed Tomography (CT) scan is a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a procedure that uses a magnet, radio, wave, and computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body.
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body.
• Biopsy is the removal of cells or tissues by viewing under a microscope to check the signs of cancer.Core Biopsy is the removal of  tissue by using a wide needle.Incisional Biopsy is the removal of part of a lump or a sample of tissue that does not look normal.
• Light and Electron Microscopy is a laboratory tests in which cells in a sample of tissue are viewed under regular and high-powered microscopes to look for certain changes in the cells.

The Stages of Bone Cancer

• Stage I : Cancer has not spread to other areas of the body.Cancer cells are less agressive.
• Stage II : Cancer has not spread to other areas of the body.Cancer cells are more agressive.
• Stage III : Cancer occurs in two or more places on the same bone.
• Stage IV : Cancer has spread beyond the bone to other areas of the body, including other bones or internal organs.

The Standard Treatments of Bone Cancer

1. Surgery

• Wide Local Excision is to remove the cancer and some healthy tissue around it.
• Limb Sparing Surgery is the removal of the tumor in a limb, such as arm or leg without amputation.
• Amputation is to remove part or all of an arm or leg.Hemipelvectomy (Hindquarter) is to remove the whole leg with one half of the pelvis.Forequarter is to remove the whole arm along with the shoulder blade and the clavicle.Hemicorporectomy (translumbar or waist amputation) is to remove the legs, the pelvis, urinary system, excretory system and degital areas (vagina or vulva in female and penis or testes in male).
• Rotationplasty (Van Nes Rotation) is to remove the tumor and the knee joint.

2. Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or stopping them from dividing.

3. Radiation Therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.

Types of radiation therapy :

• External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer.
• Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive subtance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.

4. Samarium is a radioactive drug that targets areas where bone cells are growing, such as tumor cells in bone.It helps in killing blood cells in the bone marrow and relieving pain caused by cancer in the bone.

5. Targeted Therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

The Drugs for Bone Cancer :

• Abitrexate (Methotrexate)
• Cosmegen (Dactinomycin)
• Dactinomycin
• Denosumab
• Doxorubicin Hydrochloride
• Folex  (Methotrexate)
• Folex  PFS (Methotrexate)
• Methotrexate
• Methotrexate LPF (Methotrexate)
• Mexate (Methotrexate)
• Mexate-AQ (Methotrexate)
• Xgeva (Denosumab)
• Metastron