Bone oncology is not the most common cancer, but due to low symptoms it is one of the most dangerous diseases. Often, it is diagnosed at a late stage, which greatly complicates the treatment. Bone cancer is manifested in the appearance of tumors on bone tissues, cartilage and soft tissues( tendons, muscles, fat layer, ligaments), often benign or degenerated into malignant, metastatic tumors.
What is bone cancer
The human skeleton often becomes a haven of malignant growths. Cancer can affect bone tissue, cartilage, muscles, joints, ligaments, cellulose. There is an primary type of bone oncology, for example, rib cancers, but more common is the metastatic type of cancer, when a malignant tumor in the bone tissue is a consequence of the oncology of other parts of the body, such as the breast, esophagus and the like.
Symptoms of bone cancer
The disease has no clear signs of leakage, which makes it difficult to recognize. Pain in the bones of oncology may be similar to arthritis or gout. Often, patients already refer to a doctor already
in the late stage of the disease, which makes it difficult to heal. The main symptoms of bone oncology:- pain that increases after exercise or at night;
- swelling of the affected area;
- weakened bone structure, which leads to frequent fractures;
- poor state of health, fatigue, anorexia, increased fever.
Hands
Oncology with localization in the bones of the hands is observed less often, especially in the primary form. Basically, this is a metastasis for breast, prostate and lung cancer. In this situation, new bone formation is detected on CT and MRI.Primary tumors on the bones of the hands of are rare, but are found, should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- edema, densification and color change in the affected area;
- pain in the joints of the hands;
- general deterioration of the body - weight loss, temperature, fatigue;
- increased sweating, especially in sleep.
Feet
Malignant tumor on the foot bone is infrequent( approximately 1% of the total number of cancers).There are primary lesions of bone, cartilaginous and soft tissues of the legs and secondary, that is metastases of for certain types of neoplasms( lactic and prostate gland, lung cancer).As the cancer of the bones of the legs manifests:
- pain in the joints and local legs;
- the color of the skin over the tumor changes - it seems to thin;
- reduced immunity, fatigue, severe weight loss;
- may show lameness, swelling interferes with movement.
Thighs
Ewing's sarcoma, or osteogenic sarcoma, is located in the pelvic region, the junction of the pelvic and femur bones. The symptomatology in this case is very smeared with , so often the cancer is diagnosed in the final stages. Clinical signs of the disease are:
- Codman's triangle - a special shadow that doctors see on the X-ray image;
- skin pathology - it is thinner, color changes and tuberosity appears;
- alternation of osteolytic( foci of bone tissue destruction) and osteosclerotic zones( seals);
- problems in the work of the pelvic organs, nearby vessels and nerve endings.
Causes of
The exact causes of development of bone oncology have not yet been clarified, however, physicians identify several risk factors:
- heredity - Rodmund-Thompson disease, Lee-Fraumeni syndrome, the presence of the RB1 gene, which causes retinoblastoma;
- Paget's disease, which affects the structure of bone tissue;
- precancerous growths( chondroma, chondroblastoma, osteochondoma, cartilage and bone ecostosis, etc.
- exposure to the body of radiation, prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation
- injuries, fractures, bruises
Bone cancer variants
There are several types of diseases, some of them can be primary, but mostly it is secondary form of the disease :
- osteosarcoma is a common form, more common in young people and adults up to 30 years;
- chondrosarcoma - malignant formation in the cartilaginous tissue;
- Ewing's sarcoma - extends to the bone and in soft tissues;
- fibrous histiocioma - affects soft tissues, limb bones;
- fibrosarcoma is a rare disease affecting the bones of the limbs, jaws, soft tissues;
- giant cell tumor develops on the bones of the legs and hands, it is well treatable.
Stages of
There are four stages of the oncology of bone tissue, physicians allocate additional substages:
- the first stage - the tumor is localized at the bone site, low degree of malignancy;
- 1A - the tumor grows, it presses on the bone walls, edema develops and painful sensations appear;
- 1B - Cancer cells affect the entire bone, but remain in the bone;
- the second stage - cancer cells begin to spread into soft tissues;
- the third stage - tumor growth;
- the fourth( thermal) stage is the process of metastasizing into the lungs and the lymphatic system.
Diagnosis
The signs of bone cancer are similar to the symptoms of many diseases, the most accurate diagnosis is the clinical analysis and functional diagnostics:
- blood test for oncomarkers - it will reveal an increase in the body of thyroid-stimulating hormones, alkaline phosphatase, calcium and sialic acids and a decrease in plasma protein concentration;
- X-ray - visual analysis of the image can reveal affected areas;
- CT( computed tomography) - determines the stage of the disease and the presence of metastasis, to increase the diagnosis, a contrast agent is used.
MRI ( magnetic resonance imaging) with contrast can be used to clarify the diagnosis, which indicates the presence or absence of accumulation of cancer cells in the affected area. PET( positron emission tomography) determines the nature of the neoplasm. For today it is the most modern way of functional diagnostics.
Biopsy gives a 100% accurate diagnosis of the nature of the tumor, whether it is primary, secondary and its variety. For bone lesions, three types of biopsies are used:
- Fine needle aspiration - the syringe takes a fluid intake in the area of the tumor. In complex cases, the process is combined with CT.
- Thick-needle - more effective in primary neoplasms.
- Surgical - is performed by the method of cutting and sampling, can be combined with the removal of the tumor, therefore it is carried out under general anesthesia.
Treatment
Treatment system includes both traditional methods and the latest developments of scientists:
- NIERT - the technique is used for metastasis to reduce pain and slow the growth of cancer cells.
- Rapid Arc is a type of radiotherapy, when the tumor is intensively exposed to a directed beam, treating it under an angle.
- Cyber-knife is a high-precision device that removes the tumor with minimal impact on the body.
- Brachytherapy - Implant is placed inside the tumor with a radiation source that gradually kills cancer cells.
Chemotherapy
Standard chemotherapy involves the introduction of certain medications into the body that destroy malignant formations. Success is more noticeable in treatment at the initial stages of the disease. In addition, the metastatic process is prevented, the base for the development of new cells is destroyed. Chemotherapy is performed under strict medical supervision, preparations completely kill immunity and exert many negative side effects on the body( hair loss, nausea, ulcers in the mouth, growth retardation in the child).
Surgical intervention
Various operations to remove malignant neoplasms are the most common measure in the treatment of bone oncology. Often, the intervention is administered concurrently with the biopsy. When removing a tumor, it is important not to leave cancer cells in the body, so wide excision is used, when adjacent healthy tissues are also removed and their edges analyzed for the presence of cancer cells. This type of surgery is used for hip and limb cancer if the lesion is not large.
There are cases when a wide excision can not guarantee the desired result. Extensive lesions of limbs and jaw bones require amputation. In the case of the bones of the jaw, is performed by transplanting tissues or using a bone graft. When a bone of the skull and spine is swollen, scraping operations are performed from the bone of the affected areas, and the bone is preserved.
Radiation therapy
Treatment with ionizing radiation, otherwise - radiation therapy - is the effect on cancer cells by radiation in doses safe for humans. However, the disease is resistant to radiation therapy and requires high doses of radiation, which negatively affects the body, especially the brain. It is often used in Ewing's sarcoma, radiotherapy is used as an adjunct to chemotherapy and for preventive purposes in the postoperative period. Effective use of modern beam technologies: distance therapy, the effect on cancer cells by protons.
How many live with bone cancer
The survival prognosis depends on many factors - the stage at which the patient turned to the doctor, such as cancer, the treatment method and the patient's age. With rapid access to the oncological dispensary, the survival of patients reaches 70 percent. This means the probability of surviving the first 5 years after the discovery and treatment of the disease. Unfortunately, at reversal at the advanced stages and at a secondary metastasis the chances of successful cure are very small.