Bone tumors are divided into two groups: metastatic and primary. The former, as the name suggests, most often appear as a result of disease metastasis from another organ. Primary bone cancer, i.e. one that has developed directly in the bone tissue, is very rare. This type of cancer mainly affects children and adolescents and adults between 20 and 50 years of age. Like most cancers, they can be benign or malignant.
The most common symptoms of bone cancer
The first and most characteristic a symptom of bone cancer there is severe pain in the affected area. Initially, it appears irregularly, and in the advanced phase it is continuous and prevents normal functioning. It is not affected by any commonly available painkillers. It intensifies especially at night and during exercise, when the bones are loaded.
Another one symptom there is a lump or swelling that appears for no apparent reason. Place covered cancer is tender. This condition usually indicates rapid enlargement tumor and most often means that a cure may not be possible anymore.
To the characteristic symptoms of bone cancer you also need a weakening of bone tissue. Even when performing normal activities such as kneeling down or standing up or walking, a bone fracture can occur.
Also, as with other cancers, it is about a tumor bones may be weakness of the body, weight loss, anemia, fever.
Types of bone cancer and methods of their treatment
Bone tumors they are divided into benign and malignant. Benign tumors they have a structure similar to healthy tissues, grow slowly and do not metastasize to other organs. Their prognosis is good, so a complete recovery is possible. Among the gentle bone tumors lists:
- osteoma – occurs in both women and men, it can appear in the pelvis, shoulder blades, skull, sinuses, mandible, phalanges and long bones; treatment consists of removing the tumor and replacing the bone defect;
- osteoma – most often occurs in the phalanges and shafts of long bones, more often in young people up to 40 years of age; as with osteoma, surgery is used;
- chondroma – occurs in people up to 30 years of age, mainly affects the long bones of the upper and lower limbs; treatment involves chemo-, radio- and cryotherapy and surgery;
- giant cell tumor – develops in people between 20 and 40 years of age, it appears mainly in the epiphyses of long bones; the treatment consists of removing the tumor and replacing the bone defect.
Malignant neoplasms differ in structure from healthy tissues. They grow quickly and often metastasize to other organs. Among malignant bone tumors lists:
- osteosarcoma – it occurs most often in boys and men from 12 to 24 years of age. It most often attacks the femur, tibia or humerus and is the most common bone cancer in children; treatment consists of chemotherapy and surgical removal of the tumor;
- Ewing’s sarcoma – affects mainly children from 4 to 15 years of age, but it also happens between 15 and 19 years of age, and occasionally occurs in XNUMX-year-olds; primarily attacks the pelvis and bones of the lower extremities; is the second most common bone cancer in children after osteosarcoma; the treatments that give the best results are chemotherapy and surgery;
- chondrosarcoma – it is a cancer of the cartilage tissue, which most often occurs in adults between 50 and 60 years of age, most often on the pelvis, ribs, humerus and femur; the basic method of treating this type of tumor is its removal – sometimes it involves limb amputation, especially in cases where infiltration has been found;
- fibrosarcoma – appears between 20 and 60 years of age, most often on the epiphyses of long bones, including the femur and tibia; the treatment consists in removing the tumor; chemotherapy is used in adjuvant, palliative and advanced stages of the disease.
Some types bone cancer they can occur both in the form of mildAnd malicious. An example is enamelomathat affects the lower jaw or maxilla. It develops in people between 20 and 50 years of age and is difficult to detect. It causes quite severe pain in the sinus area. Badly healing wounds after tooth extraction, nasal obstruction, swelling of the palate, gums and cheeks should be a cause for concern.