Bone cancer: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

A growing bone tumour tends to destroy healthy tissue and weakens the bone, making one susceptible to fractures. Here's all you need to know about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of bone cancer

Bone cancer is seen when the cells present in the bone grow out of control but not much is known about this type of cancer and are you aware a majority of the time, bone tumours are benign (not cancerous)? Moreover, benign tumors are not fatal and will not spread to other parts of the body but sometimes a tumour can be cancerous.

Bone cancer: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment (Anna Tarazevich)

Bone tumors can impact any bone in the body where a growing bone tumor tends to destroy healthy tissue and weakens the bone, making one susceptible to fractures. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Suhas Aagre, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Hemato-Oncologist at Asian Cancer Institute, revealed, “The symptoms of bone cancer are fever which doesn’t go away in 2-3 days, pain and swelling, unintentional weight loss, tiredness, limping, night sweats, inability to move, a lump over a bone, fractures, and stiffness of the joint. Bone cancer is seen in people of all age groups and is a matter of concern. However, the exact cause of this type of cancer is not known.”

Talking about the diagnosis, he said, “The tests recommended by the doctor are bone scans, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and X-ray. After the appropriate diagnosis, your doctor will decide on an appropriate line of treatment for you.” According to him, the treatment will be based on the type and location of the tumour.

He listed some of the treatment options that one will be offered for dealing with cancer -

· Surgery: One will be asked to undergo surgery to remove the tumour. The expert will replace the lost bone with some bone from another area of the body, with a replacement made of metal and plastic. The surgery should be performed by a skilled expert only.

· Chemotherapy: One will also be suggested to opt for chemotherapy wherein strong anti-cancer drugs are given intravenously to kill cancer cells. Your doctor will decide how many cycles you require. Another option is radiation therapy in which X-rays are used to kill cancer cells.

· During radiation therapy, the aim is to shrink the tumor and then remove it. Surgery and radiation therapy can be used in combination when the cancer cells are left behind after surgery.

· Some may also be suggested to take targeted therapy. It targets cancer’s specific genes and proteins that lead to cancer growth and survival. This type of treatment limits the damage to healthy cells and only attacks the cancerous ones. It is possible to manage bone cancer when detected at an early stage.