Bone Cancer – Causes, Symptoms, Stages, Types, Treatment

Bone Cancer – Causes, Symptoms, Stages, Types, Treatment.






Cancer or Tumor can occur anywhere in the body and Bone Cancer is a rare phenomenon. Cancer originating in the bones is called as bone cancer and it can occur in any bone. Long bones in the body belonging to that of thighs and arms are largely affected with bone cancer. As said earlier, bone cancer is a rare type of cancer targeting elderly patients. People who are undergoing chemo and radiation therapy for other forms of cancer are vulnerable to bone cancer.

Signs and Symptoms :

Swelling of muscles and tissues in the affected bone area and bone pain are primary symptoms of bone cancer. The affected bone becomes tender and is prone to break even with mild injury. Other common symptoms of bone cancer include loss of weight, fatigue and easily breaking bones.

Causes Of Bone Cancer :

It is not known why some people get bone cancer and others not. Bone cancer is believed to develop due to genetic mutation like many other types of cancer. Cells begin to grow and multiply in repeated fashion without any obvious reason and accumulate in a place to form a tumor. This mass or tumor would gradually invade and destroy nearby tissues and organs spreading to other parts of the body.

Abnormal Cell Growth – Under normal condition, healthy cells are formed which remove and destroy older cells. After some period, these cells become old and get replaced with fresh set of healthy cells. However, in some cases, older cells do not perish and gets accumulated with fresh healthy cells. Thus several cells are piled up to form a mass or tumor which then becomes malignant (cancer causing).

Radiation Treatment – Cancer patients are given radiation therapy and chemotherapy in combined manner. But in some people, this radiation treatment forms the cause for build-up of more number of cells in particular part of the body leading to cancer.

Different Kinds Of Bone Cancer :

1. Multiple myeloma – Multiple myeloma develops when cells grow in uncontrollable fashion forming a tumor in the bone. This is the most common kind of bone cancer developing in elderly people. This type responds to treatment and often it can be cured if treated promptly.

2. Osteosarcoma – This type of bone cancer occurs in children and teenagers and sometimes in older adults. Often osteosarcoma occurs in leg bones or bones of arm and in rare cases in the shoulders and hip bones.

3. Chondrosarcoma – This kind of bone cancer targets the thigh bone (femur) and shoulder bones and is popular in elderly people. It occurs on the sub-chondrial tissue of the bone that is found between the bones.

4. Ewing’s Sarcoma – In this type, the soft tissues adjacent to bones are affected and largely children and adolescents are targeted. It occurs in lengthy bones of legs and arms and also on the pelvic bones.

Read more on Bone Bruise

Who Are At Risk ?

• Bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that occurs in elderly people.


• For some people, this cancer runs in families and certain genes causing bone cancer are passed from the parents to children. People affected in rare syndrome disorder like Li Fraumeni Syndrome  and Rothmund Thomson syndrome are likely to develop bone cancer.


• Certain types of bone diseases like Paget’s disease can become the triggering factor for bone cancer.


• Any individual undergoing radiation therapy with large doses is at increased risk of bone cancer.


• Children with Eye Cancer like retinoblastoma are at high risk of developing bone cancer in later stage.


• Over exposure to radioactive substances like radium and uranium can increase the risk of bone cancer in due course.

Diagnosis :

Based on the symptoms after completing the physical examination, your doctor may order for series of imaging tests like bone scanning of CT or MRI type. If the results are positive the doctor would consider doing a biopsy by removing small tissue sample from the affected bone for getting accurate picture of cancer. This can highlight about the stage of cancer and its intensity.

Biopsy can be done at doctor’s office wherein the doctor inserts a needle directly into the region of tumor and removes small tissue sample for further testing.

Stages Of Bone Cancer :

It is necessary for any doctor to identify the stage of cancer before attempting to treat it.

• First Stage – Here the cancer is very limited and had just begun. It is easy to treat and can be fully cured since the cancer is less aggressive.


• Second Stage – This is the next grade of cancer and here again the cancer is limited to the affected bone. But the cancer can be aggressive and difficult to treat.


• Third Stage – At this stage the bone cancer would have spread to some more places near the affected bone. Cancer form is more aggressive and the tumors would be of high grade.


• Fourth and Last Stage – This is the final stage of bone cancer wherein the cancer has invaded the nearby lymph nodes and other tissues. It would have spread even to other areas of the body affecting the internal organs also. This stage of cancer is very difficult to treat and chances of survival depend on the intensity of cancer and response of the patient for treatment therapies.

Treatment :

Like any other types of cancer, bone cancer treatment depends on the stage and health condition of the patient. Before starting any therapy your doctor would consider several factors like your age, sex, and grading of cancer. Radiation and chemotherapy are standard forms of treatment for bone cancer. However, in many cases your doctor may choose combination of therapies with surgery also.

• Surgery :

Nowadays special techniques are administered for removing any tumor from the bone. Only affected part of the bone is removed along with some of the healthy tissues inside. In many cases the affected part like limb or arm is spared and only the tumor is removed successfully. Lost bone would be replaced suitably with artificial metals.

For some regions like that of hip bone the doctor would consider removing some part of the bone itself. Only in severe cases, the entire limb is removed or amputated from the body. The person would depend on artificial limb in future.

In chemotherapy medications are used to destroy the cancer cells completely. In radiation method, high powered energy beams are sent directly into the affected bone for destroying the cancerous cells. Often this is used in combination approach.

Prognosis :

• Rate of survival depends on the grading of cancer and how far it has spread.


• For stage 1 and 2 types, it can be fully treated and the patient can live for longer period.


• In advance stages age of the patient decides the life span.

Bone Cancer Symptoms

Bone Cancer Symptoms Bone Cancer refers to the type of cancer which affects and originates in the bone. It is not very common and can affect any bone in the body. The more commonly affected bones are the long limb bones. There are various types of bone cancers, some affecting adults, and some primarily affecting kids. Cancer which has originated elsewhere and spread to the bone is not termed as bone cancer, but named for where it began, such as Breast cancer metastasized to the bone.

Bone Cancer Symptoms
With the progress of bone cancer, several symptoms as represented by the most obvious pain would occur. These symptoms may also be the result of such conditions as Arthritis, Osteoporosis or injury. If necessary, consult your healthcare provider for more accurate diagnosis of these symptoms so as to get the proper treatment.

Some of the symptoms of Bone Cancer are:

• Bone Pain: The most common symptom of bone cancer is bone pain. It may be present only during night or when active, initially, but grows as the cancer spreads or Tumor grows. The pain can be a dull or deep ache in the bone or the entire area like back, pelvis, legs etc. The pain starts becoming persistent as cancer spreads.


• Fractures: The cancer can cause the bones to become weak and fragile. This can lead to fractures in the area where bone pain or swelling is experienced.


• Decrease in mobility: Due to prolonged pain or pain near joints, there can be difficulty in moving around or doing day to day activities.


• Swelling: The location where bone pain exists might show swelling or presence of a lump or mass.


• Other: There might be Weight Loss and fatigue along with bone pain. If the cancer has spread to other organs, there can be difficulty in breathing as well.

Bone Cancer Diagnosis


Depending on the symptoms that are shown, the doctor might ask you to run the following tests at the hospital for diagnosis of bone cancer:

• Bone X-Rays: Taking an X-Ray involves exposing the body part to a small amount of radiation against a film which takes pictures of the bone. It helps the doctor in diagnosing and treating any medical condition.


• Bone Scan: In this procedure a mild radioactive substance is injected in the body through a vein. A scan is then taken for the bones. Any abnormal part of the bone absorbs more radioactive substance and thus shows up more clearly on the scan.


• MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging is where magnetic energy builds pictures of the body tissues. It can be done for any part of the body and sometimes an injection is given prior to the scan to highlight certain parts of the body.


• Bone Biopsy: For a biopsy, a small part of the bone is taken and checked for cancerous cells using microscope. With the help of local anesthesia or sedation, a needle is pierced into the bone to collect the part.

Bone Cancer Treatment
The treatment for bone cancer will depend on the type of cancer, the stage and the overall health status of the patient. The 3 options are Surgery, Radiation and Chemotherapy.

1. Surgery
The aim of surgery is to remove the cancerous part from the bone along with some healthy tissues surrounding it. When the bone cancer has spread, there may be requirement to remove the entire limb (amputation). However, with advancement of technology, this is being avoided. The cancerous tissue is removed as far as possible without removing the limb. Bone parts are replaced with bone from other part of the body or artificial prosthetics. Some area surrounding the bone may also be removed, preserving the bone as much as possible. This is applicable to bones of the limbs or other parts of the body like the ribs or the spine.

2. Radiation
Radiation therapy involves using high energy rays like X-rays to kill cancer cells. While the patient lies supine, a machine sends precise energy beams to targeted body parts. Radiation is usually used along with chemotherapy, before surgery to reduce risk of amputation and after surgery to kill any cancerous cells that are left behind. It is usually helpful for people who cannot opt of surgery.

3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves injecting drugs intravenously to kill the cancerous cells. The medication travels throughout the body and is usually administered along with radiation therapy. It is administered prior to surgery to reduce the size of the tumor and make it more manageable to remove. It is also used in bone cancer when it has metastasized to other tissues.

Watch the video about the bone cancer survivor which might help you to be more optimistic:

Can Bone Cancer Be Cured?

Can Bone Cancer Be Cured?
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Getting a diagnosis of bone cancer can be very frightening. You may ask your doctorif itcan be cured. Before you get yourself too upset, it is important to make sure you understand bone cancer, the types, and how it is treated.

Bone cancer occurs in the inner tissue of the bone. Malignant bone cancer is actually pretty rare. Most of the bone Tumors that are found are actually benign. When bone tumors are found to be cancerous, the earlier treatment is started the better. This article explains more about bone cancer treatments and cure rates.

Can Bone Cancer Be Cured?
Many people are cured by the time they reach the 5-year survival rate point. The five-year survival rate for people who get early treatment for bone cancer is about 70% for any type of bone cancer. For Chondrosarcoma, the 5-year survival rate is about 80%. For Ewing Sarcoma, the survival rate at 5-years is 60 to 78%. The 5-year survival rate for osteosarcoma is 30 to 40%. Can bone cancer be cured? If treatment is started early, it is possible.

Treatment Options to Help
If you only have a "low-grade" tumor, you will most likely have surgery. If you have a "high-grade" tumor, you may need surgery followed by chemotherapy, then radiation. Explanation of each type of treatment is as follows:

1.Surgery
Surgery is usually the first-line of treatment for bone cancer. They will remove any cancerous tissue and healthy tissue around the area. When you have a tumor in an extremity (leg, arm) doctors will try their best to remove just the tumor. If the cancer is “high-grade” they may have to perform an amputation to prevent the cancer from spreading.

• The cure rate for bone cancer with surgical treatment is around 80 to 90% if the entire tumor can be removed. High-grade tumors that have spread beyond the bone are no longer curable with surgery alone.


• The side-effects of surgical treatment for bone cancer are infection, pain, bleeding, appetite, and fatigue.

2.Chemotherapy
If your cancer cannot be completely removed from your bone, the doctor may decide to do chemotherapy. This will stop the spread of the cancer. They will give chemotherapy through an IV line straight into your blood. Osteosarcoma is usually found after it has already spread and often needs chemotherapy. You may also be given chemotherapy before surgery for bone cancer if the doctor thinks it has a high risk of spreading quickly.

• Using chemotherapy for fast growing or "high-grade" bone cancers raises the cure rate about 10% over those who do not have chemotherapy.


• Side-effects of chemotherapy include nausea, appetite loss, increased risk of infection, fatigue, hair loss, and Diarrhea.

3.Radiation
Radiation is the use of very powerful x-ray beams to eradicate cancer cells from the body. They use a machine to send a beam of radiation at the area with the cancer. Radiation is normally used when bone cancer cannot be removed surgically or used pre-op to shrink a tumor. If a bone tumor can be shrunk, surgery may be more minor and help avoid amputation of a limb.

• The cure rate for bone cancer using radiation therapy before and after surgery averages about 75%.


• Side-effects of radiation for bone cancer include fatigue, skin rash, nausea, and diarrhea.

If caught and treated early, most cases of bone cancer have a very high 5-year survival rate. Some cases that are advanced when found may not respond to treatment as well. There are still things that can be done to keep you comfortable and slow the progression.

Incurable Bone Cancer
Can bone cancer be cured? Most of the time. Sometimes, the cancer may have been present for too long and spread to other organs. Even after aggressive treatment, a cure isn't always possible.

If this happens, it is important to discuss options with your doctor to make sure you are comfortable. There are special health care providers that can help you and your family deal with an advanced or terminal cancer diagnosis. You will most likely need treatment for pain, specialized nutrition, and planning for end-of-life decisions and care. The most important thing is your comfort.

When your prognosis shows that you will live 6 months or less, talk to your doctor about going on hospice. This is a specialized type of care where you can stay in your own home. Visiting nurses will report to a hospice doctor about how you are feeling. They can order pain medications to keep you comfortable. They can also help with activities of daily living, personal care, and emotional support. Hospice can also teach your family about what to expect and provide them with emotional support.

Some treatments that can help keep you comfortable and slow progression include:

1. Radiation
Radiation for advanced bone cancer can help slow the progression in later stages. It can also help reduce bone pain when pain medications are not as effective. Radiation may be helpful for these things:

• Bone pain


• Nerve compression from tumors


• Spinal compression


• Bleeding


• Tumors blocking airways or esophagus

Radiation used for Palliative treatment can either be given externally on the outside of your body or internally by placing the radiation inside the body close to the tumor. They can also give radioactive medication that you take internally via bloodstream.

Side-effects of palliative radiation include feeling weak, fatigue, bladder pain, diarrhea, nausea, and skin rash. This type of radiation can also cause mild fevers and dry mouth.

2. Pain Medications
Narcotic medications can be used for pain relief. They can use pain patches and pills. If you become too weak to swallow, some narcotic pain medications come in drops that can be placed under the tongue.

3. Anti-Anxiety Medications
Terminal cancer can cause anxiety. This can be both a physical symptom of the body shutting down and an emotional symptom over the fear of dying. Anti-anxiety medications can help calm you when you're feeling fearful.

4. Relaxation Techniques
Palliative care includes relaxation techniques to help you overcome emotional feelings and physical symptoms. Hospice nurses can teach you breathing techniques or meditation exercises to help keep you calm.

5. Emotional and Spiritual Care
Can bone cancer be cured? Not if your cancer is too advanced. However, emotional and spiritual care from hospice nurses can help you understand terminal cancer and the stages you will go through.

Bone Cancer Symptoms

Bone Cancer Symptoms

Bone Cancer refers to the type of cancer which affects and originates in the bone. It is not very common and can affect any bone in the body. The more commonly affected bones are the long limb bones. There are various types of bone cancers, some affecting adults, and some primarily affecting kids. Cancer which has originated elsewhere and spread to the bone is not termed as bone cancer, but named for where it began, such as Breast Cancer metastasized to the bone.

Bone Cancer Symptoms
With the progress of bone cancer, several symptoms as represented by the most obvious pain would occur. These symptoms may also be the result of such conditions as Arthritis, Osteoporosis or injury. If necessary, consult your healthcare provider for more accurate diagnosis of these symptoms so as to get the proper treatment.

Some of the symptoms of Bone Cancer are:

• Bone Pain: The most common symptom of bone cancer is bone pain. It may be present only during night or when active, initially, but grows as the cancer spreads or Tumor grows. The pain can be a dull or deep ache in the bone or the entire area like back, pelvis, legs etc. The pain starts becoming persistent as cancer spreads.


• Fractures: The cancer can cause the bones to become weak and fragile. This can lead to fractures in the area where bone pain or swelling is experienced.


• Decrease in mobility: Due to prolonged pain or pain near joints, there can be difficulty in moving around or doing day to day activities.


• Swelling: The location where bone pain exists might show swelling or presence of a lump or mass.


• Other: There might be Weight Loss and fatigue along with bone pain. If the cancer has spread to other organs, there can be difficulty in breathing as well.

Bone Cancer Diagnosis


Depending on the symptoms that are shown, the doctor might ask you to run the following tests at the hospital for diagnosis of bone cancer:

• Bone X-Rays: Taking an X-Ray involves exposing the body part to a small amount of radiation against a film which takes pictures of the bone. It helps the doctor in diagnosing and treating any medical condition.


• Bone Scan: In this procedure a mild radioactive substance is injected in the body through a vein. A scan is then taken for the bones. Any abnormal part of the bone absorbs more radioactive substance and thus shows up more clearly on the scan.


• MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging is where magnetic energy builds pictures of the body tissues. It can be done for any part of the body and sometimes an injection is given prior to the scan to highlight certain parts of the body.


• Bone Biopsy: For a biopsy, a small part of the bone is taken and checked for cancerous cells using microscope. With the help of local anesthesia or sedation, a needle is pierced into the bone to collect the part.

Bone Cancer Treatment
The treatment for bone cancer will depend on the type of cancer, the stage and the overall health status of the patient. The 3 options are Surgery, Radiation and Chemotherapy.

1. Surgery
The aim of surgery is to remove the cancerous part from the bone along with some healthy tissues surrounding it. When the bone cancer has spread, there may be requirement to remove the entire limb (amputation). However, with advancement of technology, this is being avoided. The cancerous tissue is removed as far as possible without removing the limb. Bone parts are replaced with bone from other part of the body or artificial prosthetics. Some area surrounding the bone may also be removed, preserving the bone as much as possible. This is applicable to bones of the limbs or other parts of the body like the ribs or the spine.

2. Radiation
Radiation therapy involves using high energy rays like X-rays to kill cancer cells. While the patient lies supine, a machine sends precise energy beams to targeted body parts. Radiation is usually used along with chemotherapy, before surgery to reduce risk of amputation and after surgery to kill any cancerous cells that are left behind. It is usually helpful for people who cannot opt of surgery.

3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves injecting drugs intravenously to kill the cancerous cells. The medication travels throughout the body and is usually administered along with radiation therapy. It is administered prior to surgery to reduce the size of the tumor and make it more manageable to remove. It is also used in bone cancer when it has metastasized to other tissues.

Watch the video about the bone cancer survivor which might help you to be more optimistic:

Bone Cancer Treatment

Bone Cancer Treatment

Bone Cancer comes from a mutation on one of the bone cells to the point where it becomes cancerous. It includes primary bone cancer, which is the cancer that comes directly from the bony tissue, and secondary bone cancer, in which the cancer from another part of the body metastasizes to bone. Most types of cancer are secondary and have just settled into the bones form another site. Most people experience bony pain when they have bone cancer. This article will talk mainly about how to treat bone cancer.

Bone Cancer Treatment Options
There are different types of treatments for bone cancer you can have. The treatment you receive depends on the following:

• The stage of cancer (whether or not it has spread)


• The kind of bone cancer you have


• Your general health, fitness level, and age


• What your wishes are

Your doctor will discuss it with you. Here are some options:

1. Surgery
Surgery is the most commonly-used treatment for bone cancer. If you have surgery, which one to choose depends on where it is located in your body, how big the cancer is, and whether or not it has spread to surrounding tissues.

• ŸResection. You may have the bone cancer and some bone around it removed through surgery. This is known as a resection. This can be done in certain bones but not others, depending on whether it is a weight-bearing bone.


• ŸLimb sparing surgery. This can be done in which the arm or leg is saved. A prosthetic device is put into place when the cancerous part of the bone is removed. It is called using an autograft when the bone comes from the same person, and an allograft when the bone comes from someone else. It is a complex surgery, requiring a skilled orthopedist at a specialty center.


• ŸAmputation surgery. This is done when a bone graft is impossible or when the cancer is big and spreading. If the limb isn't amputated, it is likely to reoccur, which is why the limb is removed. An amputation is also necessary if the limb would be nonfunctional after removal of the cancerous part. After the amputation, the doctor usually fits you with a prosthetic limb that form-fits to your stump. You will work with specialists in order to learn how to use the prosthetic device well.


• ŸWhen the cancer has spread. If you have a primary bone cancer that has gone to other tissues, it may be able to be removed through surgical methods. This is a good bone cancer treatment, even for metastatic disease. It is usually done when there aren't many metastatic Tumors elsewhere in the body.

2. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves taking a drug that has the ability to kill cancerous cells. It is usually given intravenously and affects the entire body. Chemotherapy can also be used for people with bony cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

3. Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy or "radiation therapy" involves using an intense beam of x-ray energy that goes to cancer cells and kills them. You need to lie still on a table while the radiation machine passes over the body in the area where the cancer cells are. It is usually given while taking chemotherapy and is often done before surgery in order to shrink the tumor and increase the chances of not having to have an amputation. It is a good bone cancer treatment for those who cannot have their cancer removed through surgical means. It can help control the pain and other symptoms of having bone cancer.

4. Cryosurgery
This involves using a very cold substance, such as liquid nitrogen. It is applied to the cancer and freezes the cells until they are dead. This type of treatment can be used in place of regular surgery to get rid of the cancer.

5. Targeted Therapy
These are relatively new treatment methods for bone cancer. It uses tiny molecules that act as blockers to the pathways the cancer cells need to multiply, thus stopping the growth of cancer. It is helpful in certain types of bony cancer, such as a Chordoma, and not as helpful for others.

Possible Side Effects of Bone Cancer Treatment
There are side effects for all types of treatment for bone cancer. You may have leukopenia (Low White Blood Cell Count), which may increase your chances of having a serious infection under chemotherapy. You may also have excessive bleeding or become anemic. Most of the time, the side effects are self-limited but some can be lasting effects. It may alter the way your body feels, functions, or looks.

The kind of side effects that you will experience depends on the type of treatment you have and the location of the cancer in your body. Some people will have just a couple of side effects, while others will have more side effects. Prior to treatment, your healthcare providers will inform you as to the types of side effects that you might expect.

Prognosis After Treatment
The prognosis following bone cancer treatment, again, depends on what kind of cancer you are experiencing, the location of your bone cancer, your overall health, and the degree to which the cancer has metastasized. If a cancer has metastasized, the prognosis is often poorer than with localized bone cancer. Overall, the 5 year survival rate for bone cancer of all types in children and adults is about 70 percent, which means that 70 percent of bone cancer victims are still alive after five years.

The treatment may not work and this means that the cancer may come back. It can come back at the exact location it originated in or in other bony areas throughout the body. This means that, even after you have received cancer treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, you need to follow up with your doctor in the years after treatment to check and ensure that the cancer has not come back.

Bone Cancer

Bone Cancer






It is a rare type of cancer occurring in bones in any part of the body. It can affect your arms, or legs or other parts. Bone cancer starts within the cells that make up a bone. Mostly it occurs elsewhere in the body and slowly spread to the bone. This is called as metastatic cancer. Bone cancer does not affect the blood cells in the bone marrow and is not type of blood cell cancer.

There are some types of cancer that does not belong to bone but they always start developing in the bones. For instance lymphoma is the type of cancer related to immunity cells. They either begin in the bone marrow or in the lymph nodes. Multiple Myeloma is another cancer type that starts in the bone marrow.

Symptoms :

There would be sharp pain in the affected bone with swelling and tenderness. The bones are prone to break easily causing fractures. It would cause extreme tiredness and loss of weight for the affected person.

Risk Factors :

Children are more likely to develop bone cancers than adults, for reasons unknown. The person is liable to develop bone cancer if he has undergone radiation or chemotherapy for any other disease. Gene mutation involving retinoblastoma gene can increase the risk of bone cancer. Certain hereditary conditions like Li Fraumeni syndrome and Paget’s disease can cause bone cancer.

Causes :

Bone cancer is believed to be caused by gene mutation in the DNA. Cell mutation takes place in wrong way and they multiply to grow in uninhibited manner thus accumulating mass of tumor cells forming bone cancer. It can also invade nearby tissues and organs of your body.

Types :

Bone cancer is of many types and each cancer is given nomenclature depending on the place of origin.

• Osteosarcoma :

It is one of the most prevalent types of bone cancer that affects young adults and teenagers. They begin in the ends of lengthy bones where the bone growth is active. It is largely found in thigh bone or shin bone or upper arms. But it can occur anywhere in the body.

• Chondrosarcoma :

This type of bone cancer begins in the cartilage cells of the bones. It affects middle aged people who are above 45 years. It often attacks the bones of the hips and pelvic region.

• Ewing’s sarcoma :

This rare type of bone cancer affects mostly children of age group 5-15. It affects the mid portion of arms or legs.

• Pleomorphic Sarcoma :

The cancer causing cells belong to soft tissues arising from bones. It can develop on any part of the body.

• Fibrosarcoma :

It is a rare type of bone cancer developing in adults. Among all the types given above, osteosarcoma is more common than other types and develops in children.

Diagnosis :

Your doctor will analyze the symptoms of bone pain and swelling on the joints. He would request for bone scan and imaging tests like CT or MRI scan or positron emission tomography test. Sometimes your doctor would do a biopsy by cutting a small tissue sample from the affected bone and test it in the lab. He can do it either by inserting a needle into the skin or by surgical procedure by making a small incision on the skin.

Stages of Bone Cancer :

It is necessary to know the right stage of bone cancer for the doctor before starting any treatment.

• Stage 1: Bone cancer is superficial and is of low grade. It can be fully treated.


• Stage 2: Bone cancer of this stage has not spread to neighborhood parts but is of high grade and aggressive.


• Stage 3: At this level, the cancer causing cells has spread to other places of the bone.


• Stage 4: This is the final stage in which bone cancer has spread widely to other areas and vital organs.

Your doctor will consider factors like your age, health condition, and the stage of cancer before giving any treatment.

Treatment :

• Surgery :

Surgery is the first line option for bone cancer. The surgeon would either remove a part of the bone or the entire bone depending on the extent of spreading of cancer. For instance, if the bone cancer has developed on the limb then surgery is done to remove part of the limb or fully by amputation. The person will be fitted with artificial limb to perform daily tasks.

Sometimes the surgeon would spare the limb but removes portion of it and replace it with strong bones of the body from another area. With improved methods of surgery now the bones are spared during surgery or the person will be fitted with artificial metals for carrying out day-to-day tasks.

• Radiation Therapy :

High powered radiation rays are used to destroy the cancer cells. The patient will be lying on the table during the procedure in which beams of radiation are passed at marked points of his body. Often radiation treatment is combined with surgery or chemotherapy so that bones need not be amputated. This method is highly effective in giving relief from intense bone pain and is used for treating advanced stage of bone cancer.

• Chemotherapy :

Chemotherapy is given either in the form of injection (on veins) or as medications. It is done before and after surgery for shrinking a bone to smaller size so that the surgeon can perform the operation easily. It is widely used for treating advance stages of bone cancer.

• Pain Management :

High doses of analgesics are given for managing intense bone pain. NSAID are mostly given for controlling pain due to bone cancer. Prescription drugs like opoids (codeine or morphine or even higher strengths) are given for controlling pain.

Prognosis :

The outlook depends on the intensity of bone cancer and the health condition of the patient. Often 70% of the patients (children or adults) affected with bone cancer can survive up to 5 years with proper treatment. 70-80% of the patients with localized osteosarcoma can survive for 5-6 years. In case the bone cancer has spread to other tissues or organs then the survival rate is low (15-30%).

The patient can survive for long years if he/she responds well to treatment options and if the cancer is restricted to arms or legs which can be removed fully during surgery. There is no way you can prevent bone cancer since it is not known what exactly causes it. If you or your loved ones are diagnosed with bone cancer, you can get expert opinion from second doctor and know vital information about your treatment options. Stay connected with your family and friends and you can share your feelings with support groups.