Bone Cancer
What is Bone Cancer ?
Bone cancer is a growth of cells that starts in a bone. Bone cancer can start in any bone. But it most often affects the thighbone. The term “bone cancer” doesn’t include cancer that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the bones. Instead, cancer that spreads to the bone is named for the place it began. For example, cancer that starts in the lungs and spreads to the bones is still lung cancer. Healthcare professionals might call it lung cancer that has metastasized to the bones.
Cancer that starts in the bones is rare. Different types of bone cancers exist. Some types of bone cancers mostly happen in children. Other types happen mostly in adults. Common bone cancer treatments include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The best treatment for your bone cancer depends on the type of bone cancer, which bone is affected and other factors.
Symptoms
- Bone pain
- Swelling and tenderness near the affected area
- Weakened bone
- Feeling very tired
- Losing weight without trying
- A lump in the affected area
- Difficulty moving around
- Fatigue
- Fever
- A break in the bone
Cause
The cause of most bone cancers isn’t known. Bone cancer starts when cells in or near a bone develop changes in their DNA. A cell’s DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA provides instructions for growth and multiplication at a predetermined rate. The instructions tell the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, the DNA changes give different instructions. The changes instruct the cancer cells to rapidly proliferate into many more cells. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells. The cancer cells might form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. In time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it’s called metastatic cancer.
Risk Factors
Things that increase the risk of bone cancer include: Inherited genetic syndromes. Certain rare genetic syndromes passed through families increase the risk of bone cancer. Examples include Li-Fraumeni syndrome and hereditary retinoblastoma. Other bone conditions. Some other bone conditions may increase the risk of bone cancer. The other bone conditions include Paget’s disease of bone and fibrous dysplasia. Cancer treatment. Radiation therapy for cancer and some kinds of chemotherapy medicines used to treat cancer may increase the risk of bone cancer. Healthcare professionals haven’t found any ways to prevent bone cancer.
When to see a Doctor
Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you have any symptoms that worry you.