Neoplasms are the abnormal growths that develop in the body. Bone neoplasms can either be malignant (cancerous) destroying the bone tissue or can be benign (noncancerous). Most of the bone tissue tumors are benign which do not spread and rarely are considered to be life-threatening. When cancer develops in the bone tissue, it is known as primary bone cancer and when cancer spreads to the bones from another site such as the lungs or breast, it is known as metastatic cancer. Primary bone cancer can begin in any type of bone tissue. The common forms of bone tissue neoplasms include osteosarcoma, ossifying fibroma, osteoblastoma, osteochondroma and osteoma. In some cases, bone cancer can metastasize to other parts of the body such as the lungs or can recur after treatment.
Causes
The exact cause of bone tissue neoplasm is not identified but certain risk factors contribute to the likelihood of developing it. Some of the risk factors include exposure to high-dose external radiation therapy or treatment with anticancer drugs, in some cases, it appears to be heredity and among those with the hereditary defects of bones. The development of Ewing sarcoma is not considered to be associated with any exposure to radiation or any heredity cancer syndromes.
Symptoms
The common symptom of a malignant bone tumor is the pain although not all bone cancer can cause pain. It addition it can also cause bone tenderness, stiffness or swelling in or near a bone that is affected. Hence, it is always important to determine the cause of the symptoms.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose the condition, the individual’s history will be evaluated along with their medical history, physical examination and various diagnostic tests. An x-ray can determine the size, location and the shape of the tumor. If the x-ray indicates a benign growth, further tests may be necessary particularly when the patient experiences persistent pain. A PET scan involves injecting radioactive glucose into the vein which is used to detect the cancer cells. In addition, an angiogram, CT and MRI scans may also be used to get detailed images of the affected parts of the body. A biopsy is the removal of a small sample of the affected tissue which is observed under the microscope to find cancerous cells.
Treatment
The treatment option is based on the size, the type, stage of cancer and the overall health of the individual. The treatment can include surgery to remove the tumor with negative margins, chemotherapy that uses anticancer drugs to destroy cancerous cells and radiation therapy involving high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. In some cases, surgery may also be necessary after chemotherapy or radiation therapy to remove any tumor that is left.
References
https://www.cancer.gov/types/bone/bone-fact-sheet
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bone-cancer/about/what-is-bone-cancer.html
https://www.massivehealth.com/what-are-bone-tissue-neoplasms/
