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There are different types of primary cancer1 (bone cancer), and although you may have some similarities, these different cancers probably do not have all the same causes.
What causes bone cancer?
Scientists have studied how certain changes in the DNA of bone cells can cause cancer. DNA is a chemical in our cells that make up our genes, which control how our cells work. DNA has much more to do with how we look. It contributes to our risk of developing certain diseases, including certain types of cancer.
The genes that normally help cells to grow, divide, or survive can sometimes turn into oncogenes.
What causes bone cancer?
The genes that help to keep cell division under control, correct DNA defects, or cause the cells to die at the right time are called tumor suppressor genes2.
Cancer can be caused by genetic mutations 3(deformities) that produce oncogenes or by blocking genes that suppress a tumor.
Some people inherit a genetic mutation (mutations) in the parent that increases the risk of cancer. Some of these mutations are already well-known, and genetic testing may be possible.
But genetic mutations that lead to cancer are more likely to be inherited over a period of time than to be inherited from a parent. These changes are sometimes caused by factors such as radiation exposure, but most of these changes are probably random events that sometimes occur inside the cell without having an external cause.
These mutations exist only in cancer cells, so they cannot be passed on to human offspring. Scientists are progressing toward understanding the genetic code and how it occurs, but much remains to be learned at this time.
As more information is learned about these changes, it may help doctors to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat these cancers. The most important thing is exposure to radiation or medication during treatment for some cancers. Some bone cancers occur as a result of inherited conditions (although inherited), although this is rare.
This must have given you an overview of “What causes bone cancer?” so now we can move on to understand how bone cancer is diagnosed in human body.
How is Bone Cancer Diagnosed
To diagnose, your healthcare provider will often use X-rays to view images of your bones. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT (computed tomography) provide detailed images of the area around the bones and are usually available before any treatment.
A CT scan provides clear images of bones, muscles, fats, and organs. PET scan (positron emission tomography4). Glucose (sugar) with a radioactive tag is injected into the bloodstream. Scanning equipment can discover tissues that utilize glucose more than normal tissues (such as cancers).
PET scans are used to determine whether or not a known tumor is responding to treatment or to find small tumors that have spread. Biopsy and medical history and do a physical exam.
They’ll look at pictures of your bones through imaging tests such as X-rays. It will allow you to see the tumors and how big they are.
CT scans: A computer uses X-rays to make more detailed pictures.
MRI scans: This process takes use of a strong magnet to show the insides of your body.
PET scans: In this, first a technician will give you a dose of radioactive glucose5 (sugar). A cancer cell uses glucose more than any other regular cell. Thus, when the scanner is used, it detects the cancer cells present in the human body easily.
Bone scans: A technician injects a different radioactive material into your vein. It collects in your bones to confirm the diagnosis; your healthcare provider will perform a biopsy, in which a small piece of tissue is removed from the bone to be examined under a microscope.
A biopsy provides specific information about cancer, including where it was formed. Having this information helps providers know which treatment option will work best for particular cancer.
Symptoms of Bone Cancer
What causes bone cancer? Some of the most common symptoms of bone cancer are mentioned below:
- Bone pain
- Swelling and tenderness near the affected area
- Weakened bone leading to fracture
- Fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
Types of Bone Cancer
In the article “What causes bone cancer?” it is equally important that we go through the various types of bone cancer that a person can possibly acquire.
1) Primary Bone Cancer
These cancers are the most serious amongst all the other cancers. In this, a cancer develops directly in the bones or in the tissues surrounding it, like cartilage.
What causes bone cancer? Primary Bone Cancer, also known as bone sarcoma, develops in the bone. Experts aren’t sure what causes it, but your genes may play a role.
One of the most common types of primary bone cancer is Osteosarcoma6 which often forms around your knee and upper arm.
2) Secondary Bone Cancer
This is the type of cancer where a cancer spreads from some other part of the body to the bones. Secondary cancer is more common in humans in comparison to the primary bone cancer. Multiple Myeloma (MM) is the most common type of bone cancer in this category.
What causes bone cancer? Cancer cells growing in the bone marrow causes this condition. It causes cancer in various bones of the body. MM usually affects older adults.
Bone Tumor
Bone tumors can be cancerous or non-cancerous, making them equally important to be discussed in this article “What causes bone cancer?”
Chordoma
This uncommon tumor starts in the spine’s bones, generally at the base of the spine or the base of the skull. This kind of bone cancer is more common in men than in women.
What are the causes of bone cancer? Is it possible for benign bone growth to turn cancerous? Yes, but it’s a rare occurrence. Even so, people with benign bone tumors may still need treatment to reduce the risk of other issues such as weak bones, joint problems, and the destruction of healthy bone tissue.
Tumors might reappear after treatment in some situations. Tumors that are cancerous require more aggressive therapy and care from a variety of professionals. Your therapy will be determined by a number of factors, including the extent to which it has spread, which physicians use to establish its stage.
What causes bone cancer, and how can you prevent it? Cancer cells that are solely found in the bone tumor and its immediate surroundings are said to be “localized.”
More harmful and difficult to cure are those that spread to or from other parts of your body. Limb salvage surgery is a common treatment for bone cancer.
Osteosarcoma
What causes bone cancer? The most common place for osteosarcoma to occur is around the knee. The osteosarcoma can also occur in any bone in the body, including the pelvis, shoulder, skull, or the upper leg, or thighbone. Osteosarcomas can invade nearby tissues like tendons or muscles.
Management and Treatment
The stage of cancers in the bones: a biopsy, which analyzes a small sample of tissue to diagnose cancer, a bone scan, which checks the condition of the bones. A blood test imaging testing that includes X-rays, as well as MRI and CT scans, to get in-depth views of the bones’ structure.
Treatment depends on the stage of cancer, your age, your overall health, and the size and location of the tumor.
Medications that treat bone cancer include chemotherapy drugs for Multiple Myeloma pain medications to relieve inflammation and discomfort, bisphosphonates7 to help prevent bone loss, and bone cancer has a better chance of full recovery.
When bone cancer is detected, later on, survival rates decrease.
How is Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated
The treatment of bone cancer depends on the type of cancer, whether it has spread, and if so, where. People with bone cancer often work with a team of health care providers to treat the condition.
Treatment of bone cancer usually involves a combination of methods. The type and duration of this treatment vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of bone cancer, the size of the tumor, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. The most commonly used treatments include:
1. Surgery:
Your surgeon removes the tumor and healthy tissue around it. They can also repair or rebuild affected bones with real or artificial bone grafting. In some cases, the entire organ must be removed to treat cancer. In this case, a prosthetic organ can be used. Sometimes repeated surgery is necessary if all the cancer cells are not removed for the first time.
2. Radiation Therapy:
This treatment reduces tumors with high doses of X-rays. Healthcare providers often use radiation before surgery to reduce the tumor to remove small tissue.
3. Chemotherapy:
This type of treatment kills cancer cells throughout the body with medication. People usually get this medicine by swallowing a pill or by injecting it into a vein. Your provider may use chemotherapy to treat primary or underlying bone cancer.
Exposing bones to high doses of radiation, such as the type of radiation therapy used in cancer treatments, may increase the risk of primary bone cancer forming in those areas.
Can bone cancer be prevented
Since experts do not really know what causes bone cancer, there is currently no known way to prevent it. Radiation, which is one of the most common answers to “What causes bone cancer?” is needed to treat certain types of cancer. It is completely unavoidable.
What is the View of People with Bone Cancer
Many cases of bone cancer are successfully treated. In these cases, cancer does not return. Sometimes people need more surgery to achieve this effect.
Some people with bone cancer may need to continue treatment that includes radiation therapy and chemotherapy to prevent cancer from spreading. This treatment may be permanently continued to control cancer.
It is important to follow your healthcare provider regularly to check for signs of recurrence or recurrence of cancer. If the recovery is early, this is where your provider can start treating you.
Is Bone Cancer Usually Deadly
It’s rare.
Although some people will die of bone cancer, many others will recover fully. The five-year average survival of a relative of bone cancer is 66.8%. This means that 66.8% of people with bone cancer are still alive five years after their diagnosis.
Keep in mind that survival rates are the only estimates based on people who have had bone cancer in the past. They cannot predict how long you will live or what you can expect in your unique situation.
Risk Factors for Bone Cancer Cancer therapy is one factor that may increase your risk of developing bone cancer. To prevent that from happening, one needs to know “What causes bone cancer?”
People who have received radiation, stem cell transplants, or certain chemotherapy medicines for other cancers are more likely to develop bone tumors. Conditions that are passed down via the generations.
What is the Life Expectancy for People Suffering with Cancer
What causes bone cancer? Most people with bone cancer receive effective treatment and continue to live fulfilling lives. Those with developing bone cancer have a better chance of fully recovering. When bone cancer is diagnosed later, survival rates drop.
When Should I See my Healthcare Provider
Whenever you experience bone pain or inflammation, arrange a visit with your healthcare provider. If you are already being treated for bone cancer, be sure to inform your provider if new symptoms develop.
What Should I Enquire About
Fully understanding your diagnosis can empower you to make the best decisions about your health.
- What type of bone cancer do I have?
- Is it widespread?
- What tests do I need?
- What are my treatment options?
- What is my opinion?
- How do you feel about bone cancer?
The most common symptom of bone cancer is pain, although sometimes these tumors are painless.
The pain may be mild or severe. Many people describe it as stabbing, stabbing, or stabbing. Some people develop a lump in the area that can be hard or soft when touched.
Is There a Link Between Osteoporosis and Bone Cancer
Yes. Although Osteoporosis is not a precursor to arthritis, many people with bone cancer (or other types of cancer, especially breast or prostate) develop osteoporosis as a result.
What causes bone cancer? Bone cancer is rare. Being diagnosed with this condition can bring on fear, frustration, and uncertainty. If diagnosed and treated early, bone cancer can be successfully treated.
Talking to people who have similar problems can be beneficial for your mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
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- Weinberg, Robert A. “Tumor suppressor genes.” Science 254.5035 (1991): 1138-1146. ↩︎
- McNally, Elizabeth M., Jessica R. Golbus, and Megan J. Puckelwartz. “Genetic mutations and mechanisms in dilated cardiomyopathy.” The Journal of clinical investigation 123.1 (2013): 19-26. ↩︎
- Muehllehner, Gerd, and Joel S. Karp. “Positron emission tomography.” Physics in Medicine & Biology 51.13 (2006): R117. ↩︎
- Samadi, Roghaieh, et al. “High dose of radioactive iodine per se has no effect on glucose metabolism in thyroidectomized rats.” Endocrine 56 (2017): 399-407. ↩︎
- Ritter, Jörg, and S. S. Bielack. “Osteosarcoma.” Annals of oncology 21 (2010): vii320-vii325. ↩︎
- Fleisch, Herbert, et al. “Bisphosphonates: mechanisms of action.” Principles of bone biology (2002): 1361-XLIII. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
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