What is cancer
The human body is composed of 40-60 trillion cells. Under normal circumstances, cells, like the human body, must undergo metabolism . grows and divides to produce new cells, and old cells die accordingly. However, when a certain factor destroys this mechanism, the old cells will not die, but lose control, and produce some new abnormal cells, forming a ball of tissue called tumors, and at the same time destroying normal cells. abnormal cells may also detach from the tumor and reach other parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic system. This is cancer cell metastasis.
What is bone cancer
Bone cancer is a cancer that occurs on bones, also called osteosarcoma . Its cancer cells look like the early form of bone cells, helping to form new bone tissue , but they are not as healthy as normal bone cells and are also deceptive. early bone cancer is easily treated as growth pain , muscle strain or tendonitis , about half of the patients find it too late, Most osteosarcoma occur in children, adolescents and young people. Teens are the most commonly affected population, but osteosarcoma can also occur in people of any age.
Where does bone cancer grow
In children, adolescents and young people, osteosarcoma usually begins in areas where the bones grow rapidly, such as around the end of the leg or arm bone:
- Osteosarcoma occurs at most around the knee , the lower end of the thigh bone (distal femur) or the upper end of the calf bone (proximal end of the tibia).
- Upper arm bone (proximal humerus) is the second most common area, that is, the bone closest to the shoulder.
In addition to this, it is not ruled out that osteosarcoma develops in other bones, such as the pelvis (buttock), shoulders and chin, which are more common in elderly patients.
The earliest signs of bone cancer
firstly, pain, such as knees or upper arms. will not always hurt at the beginning, but it will be more obvious at night , , especially in the second half of the night, may also be accompanied by night sweats. pain will worsen with activity and weight bearing will also worsen. If the tumor is located around the knee, you may feel uncomfortable walking and limping.
Next, the tumor will swell. If it occurs around the knee, the knee joint is swollen or stiff, and the joint motion range is reduced. Some patients think it is bruises caused by muscle strain. Only about 40% of patients can touch the lump with their hands. If the position is deep, it is difficult to touch, and even if it is touched, it may not necessarily feel pain.
fever, weight loss and anemia are rarely seen in patients with bone tumor and are prone to neglect. Especially for teenagers, it is likely to be treated as a growth pain in the arms and legs, especially for children with high activity in . Parents often ignore the lumps and bruises that appear and will not seek medical treatment immediately, which delays the best time for treatment. Therefore, if the above symptoms do not relieve for several consecutive weeks, or become worse and worse, please go to the hospital for examination immediately.
Can bone cancer be cured
If the cancer does not spread to other parts of the body, about three-quarters of patients with osteosarcoma can be cured. Patients may have limb-saving surgery, the tumor is removed along with the bone area where it grows, and the doctor then performs a bone transplant or joint replacement to maintain function in the joint. In the past, the commonly used method for this disease was amputation. Now, the limb-protecting surgery can achieve the same survival rate and recurrence rate as amputation surgery.
, however, you cannot take it lightly after the treatment is successful. It may take several years for bone cancer to be truly cured. Therefore,
- is followed regularly according to the doctor's requirements.
- regularly performs lung CT, bone scan and X-rays to track the efficacy and determine that the tumor will not recur or metastasis.
- Use X-ray tracking to check whether there is any problem with the bone graft.
Medical science popularization, for reference only.
