Cancer of bones is considered an oncological disease that develops in the body part section of the skeletal system. There are two main kinds: Primary bone cancer – cancer that has begun in the bone, and Bone Secondary – cancer that has originated in some other part of the body and then spread to the bones. Being rare, there are various types of primary bone cancer, but the most common of all is called osteosarcoma, which is common among children and teenagers. Chondrosarcomas majorly occur in adults, while Ewing sarcomas arise in youths.
The blog “Understanding Bone Cancer: Key Diagnostic Techniques and Treatment Options” explains how doctors determine if a person has bone cancer. Procedures could include whole-body scans and radiography, surgery to remove the tumor, medications to improve the patient’s life, and radiation therapy to assist with the patient’s condition.
What Are The Diagnostic Techniques for Bone Cancer?
Proper identification is essential for identifying the suitable treatment mechanism for this bone cancer. Doctors employ various examinations to determine whether a particular individual has bone cancer or not, as well as the stage at which it is. Here are some standard tests:
- Imaging Tests: X-rays are unique images doctors use to examine our skeletal system. They can help search for something like a fracture or an abnormal tissue area called a lesion. If something unusual appears on an X-ray, doctors can use a test known as an MRI. MRI scans are thorough, using muscle and soft tissues inside our bodies to determine if a tumor is present and if it is significant.
Another test uses the CT scan, which provides cross-section images of the body, with the names of slices, to enable the physician to see the tumor better. Finally, the bone scan images may demonstrate enhanced or diminished bone activity, both pathological features.
- Biopsy: During a biopsy, individuals with abnormal tissue will have a small piece cut out in the laboratory using a microscope. This is significant as bone cancer, if present, can be diagnosed and its type determined for the individual patient. Another approach is to categorize it based on how the sample is obtained, such as through a needle or when the tumor is large, surgery is carried out.
- Blood Tests: Blood tests are among the ways doctors test for bone cancer. These tests may not help determine if a person has bone cancer, but they can tell how well a person is doing, and they could give some pointers about cancer.
Does Bone Cancer Have Any Treatment Options?
For bone cancer treatment, there is a distinction depending on the type of cancer, the specific stage the cancer is at, and the patient’s overall state. Here are a few common treatments:
- Rasayana Ayurveda: Rasayana Ayurveda is a unique method of treating people with bone cancer. It synthesizes natural herbs that build the body and enhance the immunity to fight diseases, a known factor. HIV/AIDS treatment also helps to reduce the side effects of other treatments, such as chemotherapy. According to some of these studies, Rasayana can complement mainstream cancer therapies, making the patients feel better.
- Surgery: Surgery is performed for bone cancers as these are also localized. The surgeons endeavor to excise the tumor and a margin of normal tissue surrounding it to reduce the chances of recurrences. In some cases, if a significant amount of bone has been taken out, there may be times when physicians have to perform additional operations to ‘rehabilitate’ the place again.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves using very effective drugs to destroy cancer cells or prevent their multiplication. Chemotherapy may be used before surgery because tumors are reduced in size or after surgery to ensure there are no remaining cancer cells. Some side effects are experienced after the treatment, including fatigue, vomiting, and hair loss. These are side effects because the medicine can also treat healthy cells.
- Radiation: External beam radiation therapy involves using X-rays to penetrate, destroy, and shrink cancer cells and treat cancers. This treatment is proper when operations cannot be done or when operations are done to remove cancer; then, this treatment is used again to reduce instances of cancer recurring. Radiation can also help relieve painful bone metastases in patients with cancer. These therapies are effective for making patients feel better in general, regardless of whether they are cancer patients.
- Targeted Therapy: Target therapy is a specialized approach aiming at specific cancer cell components. Therefore, it can be considered more potent and has fewer side effects than classical chemotherapy. This is found to be helpful, particularly in some bone cancers that have specific genetic alterations.
- Pain Management: This is an essential activity for patients with bone cancer and high chances of advanced disease spread. Different techniques have been devised by physicians to manage pain. Such includes potent opioids and NSAIDs that help to reduce inflammation and pain. There is also the use of palliative care as part of the treatment measures to ease the patient’s discomfort during cancer management.
Prognosis and Follow-up Care
A few determinants play a role in the survival of patients with bone cancer. The factors considered in the classification of the disease are type of bone cancer, size, indentation of the tumor, metastasis presence or absence, etc. If such patients with bone cancer are detected earlier and treated adequately, they will have a better prognosis. This is precisely why patients must attend regular check-ups after completing their treatment. These sessions enable healthcare professionals to look out for the disease’s recurrence or progression into other sites in the body. It often helps if timely intervention is employed.
Conclusion
The factors considered in classifying the disease are the type of bone cancer, size, indentation of the tumor, presence or absence of metastasis, etc. If such patients with bone cancer are detected earlier and treated adequately, they will have a better prognosis. This is an appreciated route, as bone cancer is quite complex and requires multiple aspects and techniques, which can all be delivered by a multidisciplinary team.
The other alternative is to visualize the tumors via CT scan, X-rays, or MRI. Such treatment modalities can include removal through surgery, chemotherapy, or using drugs to kill the tumors and radiation therapy. Our patients must be actively engaged with their doctors and avail relevant information to enable them to be well-informed regarding treatment procedures.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bone-metastasis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20370196
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17745-bone-cancer
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8392383/
https://www.cancer.gov/types/bone/patient/osteosarcoma-treatment-pdq
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bone-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350221
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bone-cancer/treating/treating-specific-bone-cancers.html
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bone-cancer/treating.html