I can feel it in my bones. How many times have you heard someone use that phrase? That phrase is used when you have a hunch about something - when you feel something could be right, when you feel it could be so right that you can feel it literally in your bones. What if that hunch was bone cancer?
According to available data, approximately 2,000 people are diagnosed with primary bone cancer in India each year, representing a small percentage of all cancers diagnosed in the country, with estimates placing it at less than 1% of total cancer cases.
That’s not a lot of people. Does that mean bone cancer is a little less dangerous than all the other cancers that are ruining lives? Of course not. Just because a particular cancer is not very common, does it make it less dangerous? Well, not really, because bone cancer can claim lives just like blood cancer, or lung cancer can.
So, What Is Bone Cancer?
It all starts in the bone. Bone cancer refers to a cell growth that begins in any bone. It can start literally anywhere. However, it most often impacts the thigh bone.
This term “bone cancer” doesn’t include cancer that begins in another body part and spreads to the bones. Cancer that spreads to the bones is named after where it started.
For instance, cancer that begins in the lungs and spreads to the bones is still lung cancer. Doctors might term it lung cancer that has metastasised to the bones.
Cancer that begins in the bones isn’t prevalent. There are various kinds of bone cancers in India. Some varieties target children, while other types happen primarily to adults.
"Bone cancer” is a term used for several different cancers that begin in the bone. If cancer cells start in a bone, they harm the regular bone tissue. Bone cancers can begin in any bone, but they usually form in the thigh bone, upper arm or shin bone.
Cancers that begin in the bone are primary bone cancers or bone sarcomas. Several cancerous tumours originating in organs or other body parts can spread to the bones and other body parts. Such growths are known as “bony metastases”. Tumours in the breast, lung and prostate are most likely to metastasise to the bones.
Sometimes, if you have bone cancer, you will not exhibit symptoms other than feeling a painless lump. For others, a litany of symptoms can develop. Doctors can easily mistake specific symptoms for those of other conditions like “growing pains”, arthritis, sports injuries or Lyme disease. Narrowing it down might impact the diagnosis. The most common signs of bone cancer are:-
Bone Pain
This often starts as an intermittent ache, and gets worse over time. This is usually worse at night, and might be throbbing, aching or stabbing pain. This pain gets worse with movement and over time, it might become severe. As the tumour grows, this pain might spread to adjacent tissues.
Lump
You might see a lump or mass that might come up at the cancer site, which could vary in size. This lump might feel either hard or soft when you touch it, depending on the nature of the tumour. This mass may be seen or detectable upon palpation. This lump might slowly increase in size, which means the tumour is growing, and surrounding tissues are involved.
Unexplained Swelling
The affected bone area might swell up a little. This is a common symptom, this unexplained swelling, that might happen without any obvious reason or injury. This might happen because of fluid buildup from the tumour or inflammation. Swelling might hurt and might impact movement, especially if it happens near a joint. It can get worse over time, as the tumour grows.
Issues With Mobility
If the bone cancer happens near a joint, it can significantly impact your mobility. Swelling, pain, or weakness might make it difficult to move the affected area.
This symptom might result in reduced range of motion, limping or an inability to use the affected limb. Joint discomfort and pain could result in decreased function and a reliance on assistive devices for movement.
Fatigue
Imagine - you’re so tired, you can barely move. This overwhelming tiredness doesn’t go away if you sleep, and it could be why your body is responding to the tumour or the side effects of treatment. It can impact daily activities, making maintaining a routine challenging. Fatigue gets worse as the cancer advances.
Fever
Bone cancer might give rise to fever, especially in the advanced stages. The body might retaliate with an inflammatory response, resulting in an increase in body temperature.
Fevers are often low-grade, however, they can fluctuate, which means that the cancer has spread. In certain cases, the fever might happen because of secondary infections that happen because your immune system has been compromised.
Experts are befuddled as to what might cause bone cancer. But as is the case with other cancers, bone tumours form when issues with cell DNA result in cells growing uncontrollably. Eventually, they create a mass which damages adjacent healthy tissues. If left untreated, bone cancers can spread to other body parts.
Researchers have come up with links between bone cancers and other factors that might increase your risk. Risk factors for bone cancer include.
Previous Cancer Treatment
If you have undergone radiation therapy and ingested some chemotherapy drugs to treat other cancers, this might increase your chance of developing bone cancer sometime in the future.
Genetic Factors
Certain rare inherited genetic disorders such as the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, might increase your chances of bone cancer. Inheriting the genetic mutation that results in retinoblastoma also increases your risk.
Benign Bone Conditions
In extreme cases, benign bone conditions might result in cancer. For instance, having Paget disease of the bone or multiple endochromas might boost your risk.
For diagnosis of bone cancer, a doctor might first use an X-ray to view your bones. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT (Computed Tomography) scans give more detailed images of the bones' surrounding areas.
This should be needed before treatment. TO confirm cancer, a doctor might carry out a biopsy. They’ll remove a tiny piece of tissue from your bone so that a disease specialist can take a look under a microscope.
A biopsy gives you specific cancer-related information - having information like this tells providers which treatment might be the best.
Usually, when you have bone cancer, the treatment is to remove the cancer. The most common type of surgery is limb-sparing surgery, where the surgeon only removes the tumour and some adjacent healthy tissue, yet leaves the arm or leg intact. They can fix or rebuild affected bones with real or fake bone grafts.
Sometimes, a surgeon might need to remove an entire limb to treat cancer. In such cases, a doctor might fit you with an artificial limb post-surgery. Such highly sophisticated devices are an engineering marvel and permit people to carry on with their routines like they did pre-surgery.
Radiation therapy
This shrinks tumours before surgery or destroys remaining cancer cells after surgery. In certain bone cancers, radiation might be used instead of surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy might be used to treat the primary cancer, any metastases and any cancer cells that might be present in your body. Usually, before any surgery, chemotherapy is given to help curtail the spread of cancer in the body and shrink any tumours. After surgery, chemotherapy cleans up any remaining cancer cells in the body and prevents bone cancers from returning.
To sum up, while bone cancer might not be the most obvious of cancers, it is no less dangerous than any other form of cancer. Recognising the symptoms such as swelling, fatigue, lumps and bone pain is essential for early detection and timely treatment.
Thanks to advancements in diagnosis and treatment options such as radiation, surgery and chemotherapy, individuals who have been diagnosed with bone cancer have a better shot at survival and maintaining quality of life.
What is bone cancer, and how is it different from other cancers?
Bone cancer refers to cancer that originates in the bones. It is distinct from other types of cancer that spread to the bones, known as bone metastases. Primary bone cancer develops directly in the bone tissue, whereas metastases result from cancers in other organs like the lungs or breasts spreading to the bones.
What are the most common symptoms of bone cancer?
Common symptoms include persistent bone pain (especially at night), swelling or a lump near the affected bone, unexplained fatigue, difficulty moving the affected area (especially if near a joint), and low-grade fever.
What are the main risk factors for bone cancer?
While the exact cause of bone cancer is unclear, certain risk factors include a history of radiation or chemotherapy for other cancers, genetic conditions like Li-Fraumeni syndrome, inherited mutations like those associated with retinoblastoma, and rare benign bone conditions such as Paget's disease or multiple enchondromas.
How is bone cancer diagnosed?
Bone cancer is typically diagnosed through imaging tests such as X-rays, MRI, or CT scans to assess the affected bone and surrounding tissues. A biopsy is necessary to confirm the presence of cancer.
What treatment options are available for bone cancer?
Treatment for bone cancer usually involves surgery to remove the tumor, sometimes followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Limb-sparing surgery is common, where the tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed while preserving the limb.
