Bone Cancer: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Meaning of Bone Cancer

Cancer is a severe disease which is caused due to the uncontrolled division of cells that destroy the healthy tissues of the body. Bone Cancer is one of the rarest cancers in the world and usually occurs in the large bones of arms and thighs. It is broadly classified into three types:

• Chondrosarcoma- In this, the cancerous cells originate either from the bones or soft tissues around it. The main characteristic of this type is that its cells produce cartilage. It develops in adults.
• Ewing sarcoma- It is rare cancer that usually occurs in the long bones of legs, pelvis, etc. However, it can occur in any bone of the body. It occurs in teenagers and young adults.
• Osteosarcoma- It is the most common type of bone cancer that occurs in the cells that make the bone in a person’s body. It usually occurs in children and adults.

Symptoms of Bone Cancer

The initial bone cancer symptom is a pain in the affected area. Other symptoms may include:

• Weakened bones which may lead to fractures
• A lump in the affected area
• Unintentional weight loss
• Swelling and tenderness in the affected area

Diagnosis of Bone Cancer

If you see any of the bone cancer symptoms, you must immediately consult a doctor in order to get your disease diagnosed and treated in the right way. A doctor may do the following tests to diagnose bone cancer:

• Imaging- Processes like Computerized Tomography (CT) scan and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are used to study the cancerous cells.
• Biopsy- In this, a part of cancerous tissue is removed and studied under a microscope to understand the growth pattern of these cells. 
• Positron Emission Tomography- It is an imaging test done to understand the tissues and the way of working of the organs.

Causes of Bone Cancer

Though the exact causes of bone cancer are unknown, given below are some of the factors that may lead to bone cancer:

• Genetic syndromes passed from one generation to another
• Any radiation therapy received in the past
• Paget’s disease
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic condition

People who come under the category of any of these causes must be very alert about their health.

Prevention of Bone Cancer

One must try to prevent diseases like cancer as much as possible. Given below are some of the ways to do so:

• Don’t use tobacco- Using tobacco and smoking are the main causes of many types of cancer. Therefore, one must try to minimize its consumption to save themselves from the risk of cancer.
• Maintain your weight- Obesity can be one of the reasons for cancer. Therefore, one must exercise daily to maintain their weight, and stay physically fit.
• Balanced diet- A person’s diet plays an important role in deciding their body health. One must try to include green leafy vegetables, and fruits in order to minimize the growth of cancer-causing cells.

Treatment of Bone Cancer

A lot of research is going on to treat cancer. Some of the best ways of treating bone cancer known till now are:

• Surgery- In surgeries, the cancerous cells of the body are removed by professionals. This process can be quite painful, and there are chances of renewed growth of cancer cells.
• Radiation Therapy- In this, radiations are sent to the body especially the areas with tumor cells, and the removal of the tumor is done by these radiations. 
• Chemotherapy- Drugs are given to the patients, who have bone cancer, either orally or through blood. This is one of the best ways practiced to remove cancer cells from the body.

Complications with Bone Cancer

Complications may be quite common in people with bone cancer post-treatment. Some of them are listed below.

• Increase in the level of calcium in the body
• Pain and fractures
• Increase risk of bone infections
• Metastasis

Homemade Remedies for Bone Cancer

Some of the homemade methods to prevent or treat bone cancer are:

• Green tea- Green tea has antioxidants and cancer-preventing property that help in reducing the growth of cancerous cells.
• Aloe vera- Consumption of aloe vera helps in reducing the cancer risks as it has anti-cancer properties.
• Cumin- Cumin plays an important role in reducing the growth of cancer-causing cells, thereby reducing cancer risks.
• Vitamin A- One must try to include dark green, yellow or orange fruits, and vegetables in their diet in order to increase the intake of vitamin A and minimize cancer possibilities.

Did You Know? (Trivia)

• The 5-year survival rate for adult bone cancer is 66%
• Bone cancer is very rare and accounts for less than 1% of all cancers.
• The 5-year survival rates for children is about 85% when the cancer is detected at an early stage.