Understanding Bone Cancer
First, what is bone cancer? Cancer that develops from the bony structure is known as bone cancer[1]. It occurs when cancer cells grow in the skeletal system and start harming normal bone tissue. Long bones in the arms, legs, and pelvis are most commonly affected by bone cancer.
How Common Is Bone Cancer?
Bone cancers are rare. In fact, they account for less than 1% of all new cancers diagnosed in the United States. While bone cancers can develop at any age, they tend to strike young children, adolescents, and adults more frequently.
Most bone tumors are noncancerous. Noncancerous bone tumors are not life-threatening and cannot spread to other body parts. Even so, risks such as continued destruction of healthy bone tissue and the weakening of bones must be reduced by stopping the tumors.
Categories Of Bone Tumors
Bone tumors develop when cells within a bone divide uncontrollably, forming a mass of abnormal tissue. Bone tumors can be put into three categories.
- Benign Tumors – These are noncancerous tumors that keep growing and weakening bones. Benign tumors do not spread to other organs. However, a benign tumor grows and compresses healthy bone tissue.
- Malignant Tumors/ Sarcomas – Sarcomas are malignant tumors that develop in bones. Sarcomas are cancerous tumors that develop in the connective tissue surrounding bones and joints and in the bones themselves. Bone Sarcomas are dangerous and life-threatening.
- Metastatic Tumors– Metastatic tumors arise in other parts of the body and spread to any of the bones in the human body. These tumors originate in the thyroid, lungs, prostate, or kidneys and spread to the bones, where they start to weaken and eat the bones away.
Types of Bone Cancer
Bone tumors may be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary bone tumors usually begin in the bone and subsequently spread to other parts of the body. Although it is uncommon, primary bone cancer is the most dangerous type of bone cancer.
Tumors can metastasize from another part of the body to any of the bones in the human body, resulting in secondary bone cancer. Secondary bone cancer usually starts in another body part and then spreads to the bone. This kind of bone cancer is more prevalent than primary bone cancer.
The Most Common Types of Primary Bone Cancers
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is the most common form of primary bone cancer. It occurs around the knee joint and upper arm. Osteosarcoma usually grows quickly and spreads to other parts of the body, including the lungs. Osteosarcoma occurs more frequently in people ages 10 to 30, in the bones of the leg or arm. In general, males are more likely to develop osteosarcoma than females.
Chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma is the second most common form of bone cancer. It grows in cartilage cell tissue. The pelvis, thigh areas, and shoulders are common sites of this cancer. The chances of developing chondrosarcoma increase with age. It occurs more frequently in middle-aged and older adults between the ages of 40 and 70.
Ewing’s Sarcoma
Ewing’s Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that develops in the bones of children and young adults. It usually occurs in people between the ages of 5 and 20. The long bones of the body, such as the legs, arms, and pelvic region, are the most common sites of this type of cancer.
Ewing sarcoma can also arise in the soft tissue around the bones. This soft tissue tumor grows quickly and has the potential to spread to parts of the body such as the lungs. Males have a more significant risk of developing Ewing sarcoma than females.
Chordoma
Chordoma is an uncommon type of bone cancer that develops in the spine or skull bones. These tumors often form near the base of the spine or skull. Chordoma usually grows slowly and is more common in older adults between 40 and 60.
The Most Common Types of Secondary Bone Cancers
Osteolytic Bone Cancers
Osteolytic bone cancer happens when cancer cells break away from the primary tumor, spread to the bone, and break down too much of the bone, making it very weak. In some instances, holes called lytic lesions form in the bone.
Osteoblastic Bone Cancers
Osteoblastic bone cancer develops when cancer cells invade the bone and cause bone cells to grow abnormally. Osteoblastic changes make the bones weak and deformed.
Causes of Bone Cancer
Most people are interested in knowing what causes bone cancer. While the exact cause of bone cancer isn’t known, several risk factors are associated with bone cancer. They include:
- Exposure to high doses of radiation
- Having inherited conditions such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- A family history of bone cancer
- Having conditions like Paget’s disease of the bone.
Signs and Symptoms of Bone Cancer
So, what does bone cancer feel like? Some people do not experience symptoms when bone cancer develops, while others experience various symptoms over time. The most common bone cancer symptoms include:
- Bone pain (persistent pain that increases in intensity over time)
- A swelling or a lump that develops spontaneously and keeps increasing in size
- Feeling extra tired or fatigued
- Unintended weight loss
- Palpable hard mass in the long bones of the limbs or the pelvis
- Problems moving around
- A weak bone that is easily fractured by a non-high energy trauma /minimal injury
If you encounter any or all of these symptoms, you need to visit a doctor and get evaluated.
How is Bone Cancer Diagnosed
So, how is bone cancer diagnosed you may ask? The doctor runs tests to assess the cancer stage to determine the correct treatment form. To help diagnose bone cancer, the doctor performs a physical examination and other diagnostic procedures. The tests may include:
Bone X-ray
An X-ray of the bone is the first and most crucial investigation in a suspected case of bone cancer. X-ray tests are used to detect bone damage, fractures, or new growth in bones.
They show the size and location of tumors. If the X-ray results indicate that a patient might have bone cancer, the doctor will perform special imaging tests for the suspected bone cancer.
Bone Scan Imaging Tests (MRI Scan)
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure gives more detailed information about the bones than an X-ray. An MRI Scan is used to highlight bone abnormalities. The scan produces detailed pictures of the bones and soft tissues and reveals the size and spread of cancerous tumors.
Bone Biopsy
Following the MRI scan, the doctor may also perform a bone biopsy to discover what cancerous tumor is present in the bone. Some of the cells from the affected bone are removed and taken for laboratory tests to determine whether they are cancerous. The doctor may decide to use a needle biopsy or a surgical biopsy to remove a small piece of bone. A CT scan is utilized during a needle biopsy to help direct the needle into the bone and extract a tissue sample from the primary bone tumor.
PET Scan
If the bone biopsy confirms that the bone cells under investigation are cancerous, the doctor may take the treatment further by performing a PET scan. A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is a whole-body scan performed to determine whether or not there is cancer in any other portion of the body. A PET scan shows whether the cancer is only localized to a particular bone or is present in other bones and internal organs.
Treatment of Bone Cancer
Following a positive diagnosis, a bone cancer patient is taken through a staging phase where the severity of cancer and its potential spread are determined. Depending on the type of bone cancer and how aggressive it is, the doctor will advise each patient on the best approach for treating the bone cancer.
Conventional Cancer Treatments
- Surgery to completely remove a primary bone tumor or a portion of a bone – A surgical procedure may be used when treating bone cancers that spread quickly or removing a tumor located in a complicated area.
- Radiation therapy – Radiation therapy[2] may eradicate cancer cells from a bone to lessen bone discomfort. Radiation therapy may also be used with another type of bone cancer natural treatment to slow the growth of cancer cells.
- Downstaging tumors by chemotherapy – Chemotherapy[3] may be used to downstage tumors that are spreading to other areas of the body. Under this treatment approach, medication is used to kill tumor cells.
Alternative Bone Cancer Treatment
Unlike conventional cancer treatments that come with numerous potential side effects, alternative cancer treatments focus on treating bone cancer naturally. Alternative bone cancer treatments involve using non-invasive and immunity-boosting cancer treatment regimens to treat bone cancer naturally.
Alternative Bone Cancer Treatment at Immunity Therapy Center
Immunity Therapy Center is Mexico’s best alternative cancer treatment center. We treat all types and stages of bone cancer naturally. Working with us allows you to access various alternative therapies for bone cancer treatment.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with bone cancer and do not wish to explore conventional cancer treatment options, you could benefit from our alternative bone cancer treatments. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how our alternative cancer center therapies can benefit you.
Written By: Dr. Adolfo Carrillo
Dr. Adolfo Carrillo is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Dr. Carrillo has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista for over 5 years as a treating physician at the Immunity the Immunity Therapy Center. Dr. Carrillo is a charismatic Doctor whose knowledge and commitment to patient care and bringing healing to patients is a valuable asset to our center.
Sources:
[1]American Cancer Society. What Is Bone Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bone-cancer/about/what-is-bone-cancer.html
[2] American Cancer Society. Radiation Therapy for Bone Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bone-cancer/treating/radiation.html
[3] American Cancer Society. Chemotherapy for Bone Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bone-cancer/treating/chemotherapy.html
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.