Everything You Need To Know About Bone Cancer Treatment
Bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that develops in the bones. Cancers that start in the bone are known as primary bone cancers. Tumors that start in organs or any other parts of the body may also spread to the bones, called secondary bone cancer. Here, we will cover bone cancer in detail, such as what are the causes and symptoms of bone cancer, what are the symptoms of bone cancer, how to diagnose bone cancer, what are the treatments of bone cancer, who are the best doctors for bone cancer in India, and which are the top hospitals for bone cancer in India.
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Table Of Index
What is bone cancer?
Bone cancer occurs when unusual cells grow beyond control in the bone. This cancer destroys normal bone tissues and might start in the bone or spread there from other parts of the body. This type of cancer is rare. Bone cancer is mostly benign and does not spread to other areas of the body. However, it could still weaken the bones and result in broken bones or other problems. The type of cells and tissues where cancer starts will determine the type of bone cancer. Cancer that develops in the bone itself is called primary bone cancers.
Types of bone cancer
Chondrosarcoma: Chondrosarcoma is a rare type of bone cancer that generally starts in the bones, but may sometimes develop in the soft tissues. Chondrosarcoma occurs mostly in the hip, pelvis and shoulder. This type of cancer affects generally middle-aged and older adults.
Osteosarcoma: Osteosarcoma is a kind of bone cancer that starts in cells that make bones. This is considered the most common type of bone cancer. Osteosarcoma occurs mostly in teenagers and young adults. However, it can also affect younger children and older adults. This type of cancer happens mostly in the long bones of legs and the arms. It rarely occurs in soft tissues outside the bone.
Ewing sarcoma: Ewing sarcoma is a kind of bone cancer that starts in the bones as well as the soft tissues near the bones. This type of cancer generally affects children and young adults. But it can develop at any age. It mostly starts in the leg bones and pelvis, however, it may happen in any bone.
Causes and Symptoms
Causes
- Rare genetic conditions like Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Family history of bone cancer
- Previous radiotherapy sessions
- Paget disease of the bone
- Some types of bone/cartilage tumor
- Exposure to some chemicals like vinyl chloride
Symptoms
- Swelling, pain
- Problems moving around
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Bone fracture
Diagnosis
Biopsy: A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove affected tissues or cells from the body to study them under a microscope. In bone biopsy, bone samples are removed to find the presence of cancer or other abnormal cells. A bone biopsy will involve the outer layers of bone.
X-rays: An x-ray of the bone is done in case some types of bone cancer is suspected. Tumors may look ragged on an x-ray, or they may look like a hole in bone. Doctors will decide if an abnormal area is a bone cancer by its appearance on an x-ray. People with bone tumor may have a chest x-ray to determine if the cancer has spread to your lungs.
MRI: An MRI is performed to get a more detailed picture of an abnormal area of the bone. MRIs can generally reveal if the affected area is likely to be an infection, a tumor, or some type of bone damage. MRIs will also help find out the exact extent of a tumor, as the test can show the marrow inside the bones and soft tissues surrounding the tumor.
CT scan: This test combines several x-ray pictures to produce detailed cross-sectional images of affected bone tissues. CT scans are often done to find out possible cancer spread in other parts of the body like the lungs, liver, and other organs. CT scans may also be used for guiding a biopsy needle into a tumor.
Bone scan: A bone scan will show if cancer has spread to other bones. This test may be useful as it can show the complete skeleton. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan may often provide similar information.
PET scans: Pet scans help reveal the spread of bone cancer to the lungs, bones, or some other parts of the body. They test could also be used to find out how well the cancer is responding to a treatment. Many machines can do a CT scan and PET at the same time, which help the doctor compare areas of higher radioactivity.
Preparation of Treatment
You need to prepare yourself before undergoing bone cancer surgery to avoid any complications and achieve better outcomes. Make sure to remove any hearing aids, jewelry, glasses, piercings, and other metal objects at home before you come to the hospital for surgery. As surgery will be performed under general anesthesia, you need not eat and drink after midnight the night before your surgery. If your doctor wants you to have certain medications on the day of the surgery, you should take it with small sips of water. You should discuss all medications or supplements you are currently taking. Some medications like blood thinners need to be stopped before the procedure to prevent any complications. You need to quit smoking as well as alcohol before the surgery as they might delay post-operative healing.
Surgery to remove bone cancer can have some side effects. Serious short-term complications are not common, but they may include excess bleeding, blood clot, reactions to anesthesia and infections. Pain is common after the surgery. It may require pain medicines after surgery as the operated area heals.
The long-term side effects of surgery depend mainly on where the tumor is and what type of operation is performed. Many bone cancers develop in bones of the legs or arms, and some of the long-term complications from surgery on these tumors are mentioned above.
Complications of limb-sparing surgery will include broken or loose bone grafts or prostheses. Infections can also occur in people who have had amputations, especially in part of a leg, as the pressure exerted on the skin at the site of amputation may cause the skin to break down. The surgery may damage nerves in the limb, which could affect the function of limb or cause pain.
Best Doctors for Bone Cancer Treatment
Dr. Ashok Kumar Vaid
36+ Yrs. Exp.MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Oncology)Chairman of Medical & Paediatric Haematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant
How to prevent bone cancer?
Quit smoking: Smoking not only causes a damage to the DNA of healthy cells but also results in a reduction in the oxygen level in the blood, making it difficult for the weakened and damaged bones to heal. Avoiding smoking is an effective step for bone cancer prevention.
Healthy diet: You can increase the intake of bone cancer prevention foods. These generally include vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein, fruits, whole grains and low-fat.
Limit alcohol consumption: Excessive alcohol intake may damage the DNA of the cells and raise the chances of developing bone cancer. You should limit alcohol consumption to reduce the overall chances of developing bone cancer.
Exercise: Regular exercise will help keep the bones healthy, reducing the risk of developing bone cancer. Doctors mostly recommend around 30 minutes of moderate exercise for bone cancer prevention.
Regular health checkups: Another effective step of cutting the chances of getting bone cancer is getting checked regularly for trauma, bone infections and bone cancer symptoms.
Treatment Option
Some effective treatments for bone cancer are given below:
Radiation therapy: This treatment helps shrink the size of bone tumors with a high dose of X-rays. Doctors often use radiation before surgery to reduce the tumor so that less tissue needs to be removed.
Surgery: The surgeon uses surgery to remove bone tumor and some healthy tissue surrounding it. They can also repair and rebuild affected bones with artificial or real bone grafts. In some cases, an entire limb may be removed to treat bone cancer. In such a case, an artificial limb may be used. Repeat surgery is sometimes needed in case all of the cancer cells weren’t removed.
Chemotherapy: This kind of treatment destroys cancer cells in the body with medicine. People generally receive this treatment by swallowing a pill or getting medications injected in a vein. The doctor can use chemotherapy for the treatment of primary bone cancers or bone cancer which have spread.
Cost of the treatment
Cost of bone cancer
Bone cancer treatment cost in India starts from USD 5,000. The cost of bone cancer in India may vary depending on several factors like the stage of cancer, location of the hospital, type of treatment requires and the duration of treatment. Bone cancer treatment cost in India is affordable than that in several other countries like the US, UK, UAE and Turkey. Low cost of bone cancer treatment in India is a major reason why a large number international patients travel to the country to seek the treatment.
Recovery
Recovery after bone cancer treatment
Recovery after bone cancer treatment is different for each person and depends on the type of treatment, age, overall health and several other factors. You will be able to drink and eat soon after surgery. The concerned team will let you know when you can go home. You must follow the instructions given by the doctor for speedy recovery. Eat healthy diet and have suggested medications on time. Maintain hygiene to minimize the risk of any infection. Take enough rest and gradually increase your activities.
Frequently Asked Questions About bone-cancer
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