Primary bone cancer, or cancer that starts in the bones, is relatively rare, but it occurs more often in children than in adults. However, cancer that spreads or metastasizes to the bone is much more common at all ages. In fact, some forms of cancer commonly spread to the bones, such as thyroid, prostate, lung, or breast cancer. Also, although the cancer can originate or spread to any bone, the arms and legs are the most affected. Where and how the disease manifests generally determines what symptoms of bone cancer may be experienced.
Unlike other cancers that are specific to certain organs and named as such according to their location in the body, bone cancers are usually collectively called sarcomas . However, there are three different types of primary bone cancers: chondrosarcoma which usually affects the cartilage of the pelvis, hip joint, or shoulder; osteosarcoma , which usually occurs in the upper arm or knee; Y Ewing's sarcoma , which usually occurs in the bone or nerve tissue of the legs, arms, pelvis, or spine. Of these, osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma are most likely to occur in young people between the ages of 10 and 25. Chondrosarcoma, on the other hand, is found almost exclusively in older patients.
Unfortunately, symptoms of bone cancer may not appear significantly until the disease has advanced. Also, many types of this cancer develop slowly over a long period of time, which may lead the patient to attribute their symptoms to an age-related condition such as arthritis. Other factors that influence the signs of bone cancer are its specific location and the size of the tumor.
The most commonly reported symptom is general pain in the affected bone, which can be described as dull and aching, or sharp and stabbing. The pain can also be intermittent. Sometimes a lump or growth can arise from the cancer site that is not accompanied by pain. Unfortunately, this can also be ignored in the belief that the growth may be a cyst. Finally, it is not uncommon for a patient to not experience any symptoms of bone cancer.
However, there may be other symptoms of bone cancer that can occur in addition to pain. First, unexplained swelling of a limb or joint may indicate that a tumor is present. Sometimes, fatigue, fever, and unexplained weight loss can occur. In addition, the appearance of bone tumors can cause an excess of calcium circulating in the bloodstream, which can cause nausea and episodes of mental confusion. Eventually, the affected bone may become more susceptible to fractures, which may explain why many arm and leg bone cancers are found by looking at X-rays taken after a fall or injury.