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BONE TUMOR

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

BONE TUMOR

An abnormal growth of cells in the bone is referred to as a bone tumor.

  • Bone tumor develops when cells in the bone divide uncontrollably, forming a mass or lump of abnormal tissue.
  • A growing tumor replaces healthy tissue with abnormal tissues, weakens the bone and causes it to break.
  • A bone tumor may be malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous).
  • Most bone tumors are benign and are not fatal as they do not spread to other areas of the body.
  • Few common types of benign bone tumors are osteochondroma (the most common), giant cell tumor, nonossifying fibroma unicameral and Enchondroma
  • A malignant tumor is cancerous and can spread cancer cells all over the body.
  • A malignant (cancerous) tumor may be either primary or secondary.
  • A primary bone cancer is a cancerous tumor that begins in the bone, a secondary bone cancer begins in another part of the body and spreads to the bone.
  • Few common types of primary bone cancer are osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma.
  • For secondary cancer, the types of cancer that are most likely to spread to the bones are lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer and kidney cancer

CAUSES

Possible causes may include:

  • Genetic defects passed down through families
  • Injuries to the bones
  • Radiation
  • In most cases, no specific cause is found

SYMPTOMS

It is common for symptoms not to occur from a bone tumor. But when they do, symptoms may include:

  • Dull, achy pain in the area of the tumor that may get worse at night or with activity.
  • Weakened bone, leading to fracture especially from small injury
  • Fever
  • Night Sweats

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

As part of the diagnosis, your doctor will review your medical history. You may need to answer questions about your general health, medications you take, current symptoms and any history of tumor or cancer in your family.

Your doctor may then need to carry out a physical examination. A thorough physical examination that focuses on the area of your suspected tumor will be performed. Your doctor will check for swelling in the area of the tumor, changes in the overlying skin and range of motion.

Your doctor may order tests including:

Blood and urine test

Alkaline phosphate test

X-ray of bone and surrounding tissues

Position Emission Tomography (PET) scan

CT scan

MRI of the bone and tissues around it

Bone scan

Bone biopsy

TREATMENT

 

BENIGN TUMOR

If your tumor is benign, your doctor may just suggest periodic follow-up or x-ray so as to keep it monitored and see if it changes over time.

Some benign tumor may require medication for effective treatment.

Some will eventually disappear. This is true for some benign tumor in children that disappears as they mature.

Your doctor may want to surgically remove a benign tumor that has a likelihood of spreading or transforming into a cancerous tumor.

MALIGNANT TUMOR

Malignant tumor whether primary or secondary may need the attention of several specialists.

To guide treatments, factors such as size of tumor, number of bones affected, stage (how far it has spread) and.

Secondary bone cancer is more serious and difficult to cure

Generally, a malignant tumor is removed with surgery. Often, surgery may be combined with radiation and chemotherapy.