They say it is one of the most painful cancer diseases.
In 2016, there were about 240 Canadians who were diagnosed with bone cancer – 145 of those were men and 100 were women. In 2017, 183 Canadians died from bone cancer. 108 of those were men and 75 were women. Cancer data take a long time to validate and be collected, so the number of new cases and deaths may not be available for some time.
What is Bone Cancer
Bone cancer is when unusual cells grow out of control in the bones. It destroys the normal bone tissues. It can start to grow in your bones or spread there from other parts of your body, this is called metastasis.
Bone cancer can begin in any part of the bone in the body, but it is most common in the pelvis or the long bones in the arms and legs. Bone cancer is rare, it only makes up about 1 percent of all cancers. Meanwhile, noncancerous bone tumours (benign) are much more common than cancerous ones.
Common Types of Benign Bone Tumors
· Osteochondroma
This is the most common that often happens in people under the age of 20.
· Osteoid osteoma
This type usually happens in long bones and is found in people in their early 20s.
· Giant cell tumour
This is usually found in the legs. In rare cases, these can be cancerous.
· Enchondroma
This is common in the bones of your hands and feet. This is the most common type of hand tumour and often has no symptoms.
· Osteoblastoma
This is a rare tumour that grows in the spine and long bones mostly found in young adults.
Primary Bone Cancer
Also called bone sarcoma, is a cancerous tumour that starts in the bones. There are no sure causes for this, but genetics is one of the reasons. Some of the most common types of primary bone cancer include:
· Osteosarcoma
Often found in the knees and the upper arm. Teens and young adults are most common to get this. Another form that is common for adults is Paget’s disease of bone.
· Ewing’s sarcoma
This usually happens to people between 5 to 20 years old. The ribs, leg, pelvis, and upper arm are the most common areas that they grow in. They can also begin to grow in the soft tissue around the bones.
· Chondrosarcoma
This happens mostly to people between the age of 40 and 70. The hips, leg, arm, shoulder, and pelvis are the most common sites of this cancer, which begins in the cartilage cells.
Secondary Bone Cancer
Cancer in the bones usually started in other parts of the body and that just metastasizes to the bones. For example, when lung cancer has spread to the bones, that’s called secondary bone cancer. Any cancer that moves from one part of the body to another is called metastatic cancer. Listed below are cancers that commonly spread to the bones:
· Lung cancer
· Prostate cancer
· Breast cancer
Bone Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms can include pain that:
· Is felt in the area of the tumour
· Gets worse with activity
· Is dull and achy
· Wakes you up in the middle of the night.
Other related symptoms include:
· Night sweats
· Fevers
· Limping
· Swelling around the bones
· Fatigue
· Weight loss
Bone Cancer Treatment
Benign tumours are treated with medication by your doctors. They may take out the tumours that are more likely to spread or become cancer. In some cases, tumours can come back even after the treatment.
Cancer tumours need stronger treatment and care from doctors and specialists. The treatment will depend on several factors including how far it has spread. Experts also use this method to determine the stage of cancer.
Common treatments include:
· Amputation
If a tumour is large or reaches the nerves and blood vessels, the doctor might remove the limb. A prosthetic limb may be replaced with the amputated limb afterwards.
· Limb salvage surgery
This surgery removes the part of the one with cancer but not the nearby tendons, muscles, and other tissues. They then put a metallic implant in place of the bone.
· Chemotherapy
This type of therapy kills tumour cells with cancer drugs. This is used before surgery, after surgery, or for metastatic cancer.
· Radiation therapy
· This kills the cancer cells and shrinks the tumours with strong x-rays. Doctors often use this along with surgery.
· Targeted therapy
This is a drug treatment that targets certain genetic, protein, or other changes in or around the cancer cells.
For bone cancer diagnosis, there are several tests performed by doctors like x-rays, MRI scans, CT scans, PET scans, and bone scans. These tests show the tumours and their location. If you are having pain or symptoms that are stated above, consult your doctor immediately. You can also go to an online doctor Vancouver for an online consultation.
It is important to have regular checkups with your doctor to watch out for complications when you are diagnosed with bone cancer. The recovery will depend on the type and stage of cancer. Overall, about 75% of people who have bone cancer live for at least 5 years after diagnosis.
