Health Disease

What is Bone Cancer?

When an abnormal mass of tissue which is a basically a tumor occurs in a bone. A tumor can be malignant, that means it grows aggressively and spreads to other parts of the body. This malignant tumor usually is cancerous. A bone cancer however is a rare condition.

Pain is the most common bone cancer symptom. This pain starts with a slight pain which later worsens over time. Usually this pain may occur only at nights or while carrying out certain activities. The other bone cancer symptoms include chills, fevers, weight loss and anemia.

While it is always good to lead and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle and quitting smoking as well as consumption of tobacco, however currently, there are no lifestyle changes that have proven for bone cancer prevention.

Causes of Bone Cancer

The bone cancer causes are not known exactly, however there are some factors contributing to or increases the chance of forming abnormal growths in the bone. These are mentioned below:

• Abnormal Cellular Growth

Radiation therapy that kills dangerous cancer cells is used for treating bone cancer. But, osteosarcoma may be formed in some people who receive the treatment. The use of high dosages of radiation may be a factor in this development.

Types of Bone Cancer

Primary bone cancers form directly in the bones or they grow surrounding tissue, such as the cartilage. There are chances that a cancer may spread or metastasize from one part of your body to your bones. This is also called as secondary bone cancer. This type of bone cancer is more common than the primary bone cancer.

Mentioned below are some of the common types of primary bone cancers:

• Multiple Myeloma (MM)

This is the most common types of bone cancer. It usually starts occurring when cancer cells grow inside the bone marrow and then cause tumors in various bones. The multiple myeloma generally affects older adults. Since this type of bone cancer has one of the best prognoses, in many cases, people don’t need a treatment if they have the disease.

• Osteosarcoma (Osteogenic Sarcoma)

Osteosarcoma usually affects children as well as adolescents, however it can also occur in adults. This type of bone cancer starts originating at the tips of the long bones that include the arms and legs. Osteosarcoma is a disease that may also commence in the hips, shoulders as well as other locations. It has a tendency to affect the hard tissues providing the outer layer of your bones.

• Chondrosarcoma

Chondrosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that usually occurs in the pelvis, shoulders and thigh areas of older adults. It occurs in the subchondral tissue that are the toughest connective tissues between your bones. Chondrosarcoma is a type of primary bone cancer which is very common involving the bones.

• Ewing’s Sarcoma

Ewing’s sarcoma is a type of bone cancer that is a rare cancer that either starts beginning in the soft tissues that surrounds the bones or directly in the bones of young adults and children. This type of bone cancer usually affects the arms legs as well as the pelvis that has long bones.

Treatment

What should you do in case your bone cancer worsens?

It is advisable to see a doctor at the soonest possible, if your bone cancer worsens. Your doctor may recommend some OTC pain relievers or set some course of medication depending on your stage of cancer.

What are the available bone cancer treatment options?

Bone Cancer treatment may depend on your age, your overall health, stage of cancer and the location as well as the size of the tumor.

• Medications

Mentioned below are some of the medications that are a part of bone cancer treatment:

1. chemotherapy drugs in case of multiple myeloma
2. pain medications for relieving inflammation as well as discomfort
3. bisphosphonates to help preventing bone loss and protecting bone structure
4. Cytotoxic drugs that would help in prohibiting or stopping the growth of cancerous cells

<

• Radiation Therapy

In order to kill the cancer cells, your doctor may ask you to go ahead with radiation therapy.

• Surgery

Your doctor would surgically remove tumors or any affected tissue. Bone cancer that spreads really quickly can be resolved with the help of a surgery that removes and replaces the damaged bone. In some cases, amputation is required in case of extensive bone damage

• Alternative Therapy

At times your doctor may also add alternative therapies including herbal treatments to your bone cancer care plan. But, this must be done with utmost careful consideration since some alternative treatments can interfere with chemotherapy & radiation treatments.

Are there any natural or homemade remedies for bone cancer?

• Side effects of bone cancer treatment can be reduced with the help of milk thistle. It is however available in capsule form, but you may also eat its seed or make a tea out of it.
• Green tea is another recommended natural remedies that may help in bone cancer treatment since it is widely known for its antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.
• Aloe vera can be consumed as a bone cancer treatment since it has a chemical compound known as Aloeride.
• Herbs such as rosehips, cat’s claw, oats, wormwood, yarrow, wheat germ, comfrey, etc. also are useful in bone cancer treatment.
• Experts suggest generous amounts of daily sun exposure.

When to see a doctor?

Ensure to visit a doctor in case you or your child tend to develop bone pain that:

• Often comes and goes
• Usually gets worse at night
• You don’t get any relief with the over-the-counter pain relievers