Symptoms

The patient initially experiences pain in the affected area. Over time, the pain gets worse and continuous. In some cases, the pain is subtle, and the patient may not see a doctor for several months. The progression of pain with Ewing sarcoma tends to be faster than in most other bone cancers. Typically, bone cancer pain is deep, nagging, and has a permanent character. Other symptoms include:

Swelling in the affected area
Weakened bones that resulting in a significantly higher risk of fracture
Unintentional weight loss
A lump in the affected area

Although much less common, the patient might also experience fever, chills, and night sweats.

Bone cancer is a malignant tumor resulting from the atypical growth of cells either in the bones or any other body part. A significant number of bone cancer cases are metastatic, wherein the tumor originates in remote parts and infects bones. While the causes of bone cancer are yet to be uncovered, there are specific risk factors, such as exposure to radiation and alkylation agents, specific gene mutation and so on. The prominent symptom of the medical condition is a constant pain in the bones, which may worsen with time. As the chances of recovery increase with the early presentation, it makes sense to seek medical help on the onset of pain.

We are well-equipped to manage all types of Orthopedic Oncological conditions. Whether you are suffering from Primary Bone Cancers like Sarcomas or Metastatic Bone Disease, we can take care of it all. We are also positioned to deliver treatments for several other bone malignancies, such as Myeloma and Lymphoma, along with Soft Tissue Sarcomas and Spine tumors. Benign tumors like Giant Cell Tumors, Aneurysmal Bone Cyst and Chondroblastoma are also managed. Besides bone cancer treatment, we can also support non-oncological orthopedic needs of patients hospitalized for other medical conditions.

We have the technology and skills to carry out super specialized surgical procedures for bone tumor treatment. We put our best foot forward to conduct limb salvage surgery with endoprosthetic replacement, vascularised bone autografts and extracorporeal radiotherapy. Our limb salvage surgery portfolio also includes re-implantation of tumor bone and total femur and total humerus replacement. We also perform specialized soft tissue sarcomas, internal hemipelvectomy, en bloc resections of primary spinal tumors and extended curettage of benign aggressive bone tumors.

Types of bone cancer

Following are the different types of bone cancer:

Osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma: Both of them are the most common types of bone cancer. These types of cancer occur in children, as well as young adults.
Chondrosarcoma: This is the cartilage cancer and it’s more common in adults.
Chordoma: This cancer begins in the lower spinal cord.

Causes of bone cancer

The exact causes of bone cancer are not known. However, bone cancer is also associated with hereditary factors, whereas others are related to radiation exposure. In bone cancer, cells begin to grow rapidly and while growing, the healthy cells die; whereas the abnormal cells begin accumulating in a specific body part leading to a tumour. The formed tumour can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

While doctors are unsure or precise causes, patients with long-term inflammatory diseases, such as Paget's disease are at a significantly higher risk of developing bone cancer later in life. However, nobody can explain why one person gets bone cancer while another one does not. It is not contagious.

The following groups of people may be at a higher risk of developing bone cancer

Children or young adults aged up to 20 years
People who have received radiation therapy
Individuals with a history of Paget's disease
People with a close relative who has bone cancer
Individuals with hereditary retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer that most commonly affects very young children
People with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic condition

Treatment of bone cancer

Surgery It is the most common type of bone cancer treatment. It involves the removal of cancerous bone tissues via a surgical procedure. After surgery, radiation or chemotherapy may be performed for clearing any remaining cancer cells.

Radiation therapy In this procedure, high doses of radiation therapy are used for shrinking tumors or cancer cells. However, radiation therapy can even damage surrounding healthy cells during the recovery procedure.

Chemotherapy In the procedure, certain drugs are used for killing the multiplying cells, such as cancer cells, as well as cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. This treatment option also has certain side effects.

Risk factors for bone cancer

While the causes of bone cancer are unknown, doctors have determined the given risk factors that increase the chances of cancer:

Genetic syndromes: There are certain inherited genetic syndromes, such as hereditary retinoblastoma and Li-Fraumeni syndrome, are passed down to the family lines. This increases the risk of bone cancer in the entire family line.

Paget’s disease: This condition usually occurs in older patients and increases the risk of bone cancer.

Radiation therapy: Exposure to higher doses of radiation for treating any type of cancer may also develop the risk of bone cancer after certain years.

Diagnosis

A doctor may order a blood test to rule out other possible causes. The patient will then be referred to a bone specialist. The following diagnostic tests may be ordered:

Bone scan
CT scan
MRI scan
Positron emission tomography (PET)
X-rays
Bone biopsy

Once diagnosis of a cancer is confirmed, your doctor will ask for some further investigations to rule out the spread of disease which can include a bone scan, PET scan, CT scan of chest etc.