How to diagnose bone cancer?

Bone cancer is one of the rare cancers. This type of disease is extremely dangerous, can be life-threatening because the time to detect it is usually at a late stage.

1. Overview of the bone system in the human body

Typically, the human body has 206 different short long bones, combined into a skeleton that helps to support the body and protect internal organs from physical injuries. The bone system makes it possible for humans to move and function easily.

The human body has 3 main types of bones:

  • Long bones: tubular in shape, in the middle will contain red marrow for children and contain yellow fat in adults. This type of bone has the most on the human body, for example, femur, shin bone, tubular bone.
  • Short bones: short in size, e.g. vertebrae, wrist bones, ankles.
  • Flat bones: have a semi-flattened and thin shape, such as the skull bone, shoulder blades.

Bones are connected to other bones by hard tissue bands, called ligaments. Cartilage covers and protects the joints. The bone is hollow and filled with bone marrow.

Diagnosis of bone cancer

Bone system in the human body

Bone consists of collagen, which is a soft tissue and a mineral that helps harden and strengthen bones. There are 3 types of bone cells:

  • Osteoclasts: Cells that break down and remove old bones
  • Osteoblasts: New bone-building cells
  • Bone cells: Cells that carry nutrients to bones

2. What is bone cancer?

Bone cancer is a rare cancer, which is often difficult to detect at an early stage, so the disease causes a high mortality rate.

Bone cancer is a condition in which a malignant tumor appears. These cancer cells grow, compete with healthy bone tissue and can be life-threatening.

However, not all tumors are malignant. The person may have a benign tumor, although it does not spread to other parts of the body but can grow large enough to press on the surrounding tissues, weakening the bones and causing the bones to break.

Diagnosis of bone cancer

Bone cancer is a condition in the bones that appears a malignant tumor

3. Types of bone cancer

There are different types of bone cancer. Here are some common types of bone cancer:

  • Ewing Sarcoma Family-Like Cancer (ESFTs): it is the most common type of bone cancer. They mainly occur in children and young adults. Ewing Sarcoma is usually present in bones, or soft tissues such as adipose tissue, muscles, fibro fractured tissue, blood vessels, or some other supporting tissue. This type of cancer usually appears in the pelvis, along the spine, in the shin or arms.
  • Cartilage sarcoma: is a type of cancer located in cartilage tissue. Cartilage consists of elastic and smooth tissues, which help to cover and protect the long bone head in the joints. Sarcoma cartilage mostly appears in the pelvis, shoulders and thighs.
  • Bone sarcoma: appears in bone tissue (has a structure that is almost identical to the bone, but has less mineral amounts). This type of cancer usually occurs in the arms and knees.

4. Determining the stage of bone cancer

To determine the stages of bone cancer, the doctor will use the TNM system:

Tumor (T): T is accompanied by numbers from 0-4 used to describe the size and location of the tumor. Tumor size is measured in centimeters.

Node (N): N stands for lymph nodes – small, pea-shaped muscles that help fight infections. The lymph nodes near where the cancer begins are called regional lymph nodes. Lymph nodes in other parts of the body are called distant lymph nodes. This stage is intended to determine whether the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes. If it has spread, how far will it spread and spread?

  • NX: Regional lymph nodes cannot be evaluated.
  • N0: The cancer has not spread to the regional lymph nodes.
  • N1: The cancer has spread to the regional lymph nodes. This is rare for primitive bone cancer.

Metastasis (M): describes whether the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, called distant metastases:

  • M0: Cancer has not meta meta metalysed.
  • M1: The cancer has metalysed to another part of the body.
  • M1a: Cancer has metabolly metabolly entered the lungs.
  • M1b: The cancer has meta metalysed to another bone or other body.

5. Stages of bone cancer

Bone cancer consists of the following 4 stages:

  • Phase I: The cancer is only in the bones without spreading to other parts of the body. During this period, cancer cells are less harmful and have not yet compete with normal cells.
  • Phase II: cancer cells have shown signs of growing stronger than before, but are still limited to bones.
  • Stage III: cancer cells appear more (from two to three locations) on the same bone tissue. Tumors at this stage can distinguish high or low.
  • Stage IV: cancer that meta metasrates from bone to place. These cells usually grow very quickly and can affect other normal cells.

6. Diagnosis of bone cancer

Diagnosis of bone cancer

The test is considered a very important step to determine whether the patient has cancer or not to then make diagnoses and pregnosing the disease

When the patient shows signs and symptoms of bone cancer, the doctor will make a diagnosis based on clinical examination and tests. The test is considered a very important step to determine whether the patient has cancer or not to then make diagnoses and pregnoses of the disease. Here are some diagnostic tests for bone cancer:

Blood test: helps to find bone cancer. People with osteoarthritis or Ewing sarcoma may have higher levels of alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase in the blood. However, it should be noted that high levels do not always mean cancer. Alkaline phosphatase is usually high when cells that form bone tissue are very active, such as when the child is growing or the broken bone is healing.

X-ray: is a way to create an image of the internal structures of the body with a small amount of radiation. It shows the initial location of the cancer in the bone or where the cancer has developed in the body.

Bone scan: use a radioactive marker to look inside the bone, helping to find bone cancer. The marker is injected into the patient's vein. It collects in areas of the bones and is detected by a specialized camera.

Computer-layered imaging (CT or CAT): taking photos inside the body using X-rays taken from different angles. A computer combines these images into a detailed 3D image showing the appearance of abnormal tumors. CT scans can be used to measure tumor size.

Bio-sampling: take a cell sample from the bone and observe it under a microscope to determine whether bone cancer is benign or malignant.

7. Treatment of bone cancer

Some of the main methods used in the treatment of bone cancer include:

  • Surgery: is the most common method in the treatment of cancer, can solve the root of the tumor, bring life to the patient.
  • Radiotherapy: use high-energy radiation to damage cancer cells and prevent them from growing.
  • Chemotherapy: use drugs to treat bone cancer to kill dividing cancer cells.

Bone-shaped radiation is a method of early detection of damage caused by bone cancer. From there, it is the basis for conducting a biophroses and early detection of malignant tumors in the bones.

The Nuclear Medicine Unit – Imaging Department of Share99 Times City International Health Hub provides Tc99m- MDP body bone imaging service with many advantages over other imaging techniques. Bone cancer if detected early and treated properly has a high chance of healing, helping to reduce pain and costs for the patient.

Customers can go directly to Share99 Times City for a visit or contact hotline 0243 9743 556 for assistance.

Article reference source: cancer.net

SEE MORE:

  • How to detect primitive bone cancer?
  • Bone health care on cancer patients
  • How do I know if the cancer metalysed to the bone?
SEE MORE:

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About: John Smith

b1ffdb54307529964874ff53a5c5de33?s=90&r=gI am the author of Share99.net. I had been working in Vinmec International General Hospital for over 10 years. I dedicate my passion on every post in this site.

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