Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer most commonly seen in children and young adults. It is the most common central bone tumor in children. This disease is found in approximately 400 children and adolescents in America every year. Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) is the third most common cancer in teenagers.
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) can occur in any bone, but it most commonly occurs in the broad ends of the long bones of the leg and arm. It begins mostly in immature bone cells (osteoblasts), which form new bone tissue.
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The most common places for bone cancer (osteosarcoma) to develop are in the lower part of the thigh bone (femur) and the upper part of the shin (tibia) near the knee. Another common place for bone cancer (osteosarcoma) to develop is the upper arm bone (humerus) near the shoulder. It also sometimes forms in flat bones such as the pelvis or skull, but this occurs very rarely. In rare situations, bone cancer (osteosarcoma) may be found in soft tissue other than bone.
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) can form inside the bone (central tumor) or on the outer surface of the bone (superficial tumor). Most bone cancers (osteosarcomas) in children are located right in the center of the bone.
Risk Factors and Causes of Bone Cancer (Osteosarcoma)
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) occurs mostly after age 10, rarely before age 5.
Some individuals have conditions that raise their chance of developing bone cancer (osteosarcoma).
1- Bone Cancer More in Men Osteosarcoma, the other name for bone cancer, is more commonly found in males than females.
2-Osteosarcoma is more likely to be diagnosed among African-American children than among Caucasians.
3- Survivors of cancer, who have undergone radiation therapy, could have the risk of bone cancer (osteosarcoma).
4-Genetic factors are the reason why you become prone to bone cancer, most preferably osteosarcoma.
5- Genetic factors are the reason why you become prone to bone cancer, most preferably osteosarcoma. A small percentage of children have changes or mutations that make them more likely to develop bone cancer (osteosarcoma) and other cancers. For this reason, people with hereditary retinoblastoma, a history of multiple cancers, and a long family history of breast cancer, leukemia, brain cancer, and tumors in the bones or soft tissues are at higher risk.
6- Other rare conditions caused by genetic mutations may also increase the risk of bone cancer (osteosarcoma). These include -Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Rothmund–Thomson syndrome, Bloom syndrome, Werner syndrome, and Diamond–Blackfan anemia.
Signs and Symptoms of Osteosarcoma
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) damages or weakens the bones. Symptoms depend on the place of the tumor. The signs may be difficult to recognize at first and may resemble symptoms of other conditions.
Symptoms of bone cancer (osteosarcoma) include the following:
Bone or joint pain
Problems with joint movement
A lump or swelling on the bone
Iimping or walking problems
Broken bone (fracture)
The pain worsens over weeks or months. The child wakes up in the middle of the night due to pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, may not provide sufficient long-term pain relief.
Osteosarcoma Diagnosis
Various types of tests can diagnose bone cancer, or osteosarcoma, from its numerous characteristics. These include tests for a health history, physical examination, and blood tests to learn about symptoms, general health, past illness, and risk factors.
Imaging tests for identification of the site of the tumor and planning of other investigations or diagnostic tests.
Whole bone X-rays are used to detect “skipped” lesions, which means bone cancer (osteosarcoma) has spread from the central tumor to other parts of the bone.
A chest CT scan is used to see whether bone cancer (osteosarcoma) has spread to the lungs.
MRI is used to help assess tumors and plan surgery.
Whole-body imaging using a bone scan or PET scan is used to detect bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in the bones and other parts of the body.
Biopsy (removal of a piece) to accurately diagnose the disease. During a biopsy, the surgeon removes a tiny piece of tissue from the tumor. The location of the tumor decides between the two techniques-being either incisional biopsy or core needle biopsy. The cells are then placed under the microscope to look for evidence of cancer.
Osteosarcoma-level detection
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) is usually described as localized (confined to one place or organ) or metastatic (cancer has spread). Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) confined to one place or organ means that the tumor is stable in only one place in the body. Metastatic (osteosarcoma) means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or other bones. The most common place for bone cancer (osteosarcoma) to spread is the lungs.
Forecast
Patients with bone cancer (osteosarcoma) confined to a single site or organ and in whom the tumor can be completely removed have a 65-70% chance of long-term recovery. If bone cancer (osteosarcoma) has already spread (metastatic osteosarcoma) when the disease is diagnosed, the chance of survival is about 30%.
The prognosis depends on many factors:
Tumor size and location
whether more bodily parts have been affected by the malignancy
The ability of surgery to completely remove the tumor
Has the cancer recurred (come back)
What effect does chemotherapy have on tumors?
The cancer will recur in about 30% of patients. It mostly occurs as new nodules in the lungs. For those in whom the disease comes back, certain variables affect the prognosis, including the ability to surgically remove the tumor and the length of time the disease will come back.
Patients who have early disease relapses within the first 18 months after diagnosis are usually more difficult to treat than patients who have disease relapses later. If the cancer is treated and comes back, the 10-year survival rate after the disease comes back is about 17%. The chances of survival decrease with further disease relapses.
Treatment of Osteosarcoma
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) is usually treated by chemotherapy followed by surgery. Radiation therapy may be used if the tumor is not removable by surgery or if there is residual disease left behind after surgery
Surgery
Surgery is used to remove the tumor when possible. A small amount of the surrounding tissue surrounding the tumor will be removed to ensure that no cancer cells are left behind after surgery. Most bone cancers (osteosarcomas) can be treated by surgery to remove the tumor while preserving the limb.
All the bone with the tumor will be removed as a part of this procedure and replaced by a metal prosthetic or another piece of bone, under the management of a physician. If the tumor cannot be completely removed and the limb has to be saved through surgery, amputation may be the alternative option to be employed.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (“chemo”) is used in addition to surgery to treat bone cancer (osteosarcoma). Chemotherapy is administered before surgery in an attempt to reduce the size of the tumor. These medicines destroy cancer cells or stop them from growing and making more cancer cells. Often, more than one type of medicine will be used to treat bone cancer (osteosarcoma). Most chemotherapy is given through injection but some chemo can also be given orally. Additionally, chemotherapy is often given after surgery to remove any remaining cancer cells and help prevent the tumor from coming back.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is not often used to treat bone cancer (osteosarcoma). This type of cancer cells are not easily destroyed by radiation. However, if surgery cannot completely remove the tumor or if tumor cells remain after surgery, radiation may be given to try to destroy the cancer cells or slow their growth.
Targeted therapies
Targeted therapies are new drugs that act on specific target areas of cancer cells to stop them from growing. Kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies are being studied in the treatment of bone cancer. Kinase inhibitors work by blocking proteins that signal cancer cells to grow. Monoclonal antibody treatments use special proteins that attach to cancer cells to destroy them or slow their growth.
Life after Bone Cancer (osteosarcoma)
Disease relapse monitoring
Patients will receive follow-up care for several years after treatment ends to check for disease recurrence. Only the health care provider can thus give individual recommendations for the necessary tests and frequencies. Screening usually involves blood tests, a CT scan of the lungs, and X-rays of the diseased bone.
Some patients, on account of their presence of certain hereditary syndromes or genetic disorders, may tend to future cancer development and thus require further follow-up care.
Life After Amputation
Overall, most bone cancer (osteosarcoma) survivors who undergo amputation or limb-sparing surgery to remove the tumor improve over time. They report having good physical function and lifestyle. Follow-up care is necessary to ensure continued mobility. Patients should get themselves examined annually to check musculoskeletal function. It is necessary to ensure that the patient does not have any long-standing problems. Unequal limb length, gait changes, joint problems, or other problems can cause chronic pain or disability. These problems should be identified and addressed appropriately.
Patients who have had an amputation should also have annual checkups to maintain the function of their prostheses. Orthopedic surgeons should assess endoprosthesis (bone grafts and/or metal implants) patients at least once a year. Patients who have had limb-sparing surgery to remove a tumor may require additional surgery to lengthen the limb until it reaches adult height.
Health After (Osteosarcoma)
Children treated for bone cancer (osteosarcoma) are at risk for therapy-related late effects. All survivors of the disease should have regular physical examinations by a primary care physician. For general health and disease prevention, survivors of disease should adopt healthy lifestyles and eating habits.
Survivors of bone cancer are much less active than the general population. Exercise is likely to be an important component of preserving health, fitness, and physical function for this patient group, especially in the aftermath of limb-sparing tumor resections or amputation.
The survivors of the disease who have had whole-body chemotherapy or radiation need to be followed up for both acute and late effects. Possible complications arising after the treatment include sensorineural hearing loss, heart problems, kidney damage, and secondary cancer.
According the childhood cancer survival studies, 25% of the survivors carry serious chronic conditions that linger 25 years after the time of diagnosis. These may include second-stage cancer for increased risks after radiation exposure, congestive heart failure due to doxorubicin, infertility issues or complications related to pregnancy, and end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure. Are encompassed. Regular visitation by a primary care physician is helpful in monitoring and managing those patients who survive the disease with late effects.
Conclusion
In brief, osteosarcoma is a form of cancerous aggressiveness involving the bones, mainly among children and young adults. Early identification of osteosarcoma symptoms would mean the difference between effective diagnosis and treatment. The earliest symptoms are minimal joint pain accompanied by swelling in the soft tissues around the bone being affected and sometimes a palpable mass. At some level, increased discomfort and impaired mobility result, so such awareness of these symptoms is key to prompt medical care.
In brief, osteosarcoma is a form of cancerous aggressiveness involving the bones, mainly among children and young adults. Early identification of the symptoms of osteosarcoma would mean the difference between effective diagnosis and treatment. The earliest symptoms are minimal joint pain accompanied by swelling in the soft tissues around the bone being affected and sometimes a palpable mass. At some level, increased discomfort and impaired mobility result, so such awareness of these symptoms is key to prompt medical care.
Various osteosarcoma treatment options can be adopted in the treatment of this disease, with osteosarcoma. The major treatment is surgery and chemotherapy. The type of surgery adopted depends on the location and extent of the tumor and includes limb-sparing procedures or amputation. In some instances, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is given before surgery in an attempt to shrink the tumor and prepare it for eventual removal. The post-operative chemotherapy is also commonly used to kill any remaining cancerous cells. Clinical trials in some cases provide some access to treatments that may be responsible for better outcomes.
osteosarcoma survival rate for a patient is also important knowledge for a diagnosed patient and his family. Generally, the prognosis has improved tremendously since several advances in treatments have been given and five-year survival rates for localized osteosarcoma have risen to 60% to 80%. Survival, however, depends on other factors such as age, size of the tumor, and metastasis at presentation. Early detection and more rounded treatment eventually improve these survival rates.
In a sense, all of this can be intimidating when one first receives a diagnosis of osteosarcoma, but treatment and supportive care over the years have improved the survival rates and quality of life for so many patients. Research is still ongoing today, exploring new therapies, which may eventually guarantee even better results in the future.
Disclaimer
In this article, information related to a particular topic has been collected from various sources, the purpose of which, is only to increase the knowledge of the readers and it does not confirm the existence of any disease, particular statement, explanation, appropriateness, congruity, and information or any kind of treatment. Health Alpha does not take any responsibility for any such information.
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