Why Bone Cancer is One of the Most Deadly Cancers — Types, Symptoms and Treatments
By: Abiodun Lawrence
Tags: Cancer, Tumour, Bone Cancer Treatment, Healthy Lifestyle, Bone Cancer

Bone cancer is one of the most deadly cancers that hit people. It targets bones and especially the mandible (which is the upper portion of the skull). The most common areas in which this disease strikes are the mandible, the clavicle, and the spine of the affected person. This type of cancer is the second most deadly after lung cancer. It has a five-year survival rate of about 90%.

What is bone cancer?

Bone cancer is the cancerous growth of cancerous bone that occurs in bones or other tissues of the body. Bone cancer can start anywhere. However, it is more common in this age group above fifty-five and it mostly affects men.

The symptoms of bone cancer are very easy to spot. However, because the symptoms do not reveal themselves right away, it may be a few months before the cancer cells actually begin to spread and invade the bones.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

What are the common symptoms?

The symptoms will depend on the kind of cancer that one has. In the case of osteosarcoma, one might have difficulty in chewing one’s food. He or she may also experience pain whenever he tries to move his jaw. If one develops pleural mesothelioma, he or she may experience a constant cough with a lot of mucus-like discharge.

During its early stages, cancer usually appears to be benign (not malignant). However, as it advances, it will turn into malignancy. This can be clearly seen when cancer starts invading the bones, particularly the spinal column.

How is bone cancer diagnosed?

Bone cancer can only be detected if an individual who is suffering from it undergoes several laboratory tests. These include a complete blood count, urinalysis, bone scan, X-rays, and CT scan.

These tests will determine if there is already a tumour inside the bone and if cancer has spread to other bones in the body. Based on the results of these tests, a diagnosis of bone cancer will then be given.

There are treatment options available for people who are diagnosed with this disease. One option is to go through a surgical procedure. Surgery, however, should not be considered as the first option. It should only be used as a last resort after all other possible treatment options have been tried out.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

People who are affected by bone cancer are encouraged to detect the symptoms early. They should be able to identify the symptoms themselves and report them to their doctor.

Early detection of this cancer can help the doctor to assess the extent of cancer and devise a treatment plan that will suit the patient’s needs best. Moreover, the timely diagnosis will allow cancer to be treated before the affected area gets damaged beyond repair.

Anyone, men and women alike, can get bone cancer. However, the chances of getting affected by cancer are greater for some people than for others. Age, gender, and ethnicity do play a role in the possibility of one being affected. One should therefore see a doctor if they notice any changes in their body as a result of an illness.

There are two main types of bone cancer

The first is called primary cancer. This type occurs when cancer has not spread to other areas of the bones yet. Primary cancer is curable and will not cause any fatalities.

The second type is called metastatic cancer. It has spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, and other areas. Bone cancer is a serious condition.

If it is diagnosed in its early stages, it can certainly be treated. However, it will not be able to cure the disease. It is important for anyone to see their doctor as soon as they notice any change in the functionality of their bones.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

When bone cancer affects the bones of more than one person, it is termed as a multiple site cancer. This means that it has affected different parts of the body at the same time. When this happens, there is a chance that cancer might spread to other parts of the body or in other ways.

There are several methods of treating bone cancer. The type that is used depends on the stage that it is in. A treatment that is used on the cancerous area of the bone may have to wait until it has grown into a bigger size before it can be tried.

It is also possible that it will only need one type of treatment before it will have died down. One type of treatment that is effective for bone cancer is chemotherapy. This helps improve the quality of the bone marrow in the patient and reduces the amount of damage that cancer has caused.

Content created and supplied by Akinpedia. Opera News is free to use the platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. Opera News does not consent to nor does it condone the posting of any content that violates the rights (including the copyrights) of any third party, nor content that may malign, inter alia, any religion, ethnic group, organization, gender, company, or individual. Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes of encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. If the content contained herein violates any of your rights, including those of copyright, and/or violates any the above-mentioned factors, you are requested to immediately notify us using via the following email address [email protected] and/or report the article using the available reporting functionality built into our Platform. Read more>>