The Three Types Of Bone Cancer
Bone cancer comes in three primary forms. Primary cancer means that the cancer itself originated in the bone versus secondary cancer in which a cancer from another part of the body has spread to the bone. The three primary types of bone cancer are Osteosarcoma, Ewing’s Sarcoma and Chondrosarcoma. Bone cancer of any type is frequently found in Caucasian males. Females and those of Asian or African-American ethnicity are in the minority with a bone cancer diagnosis.
Osteosarcoma is a cancer that begins inside the tissue of a maturing bone. Osteosarcoma generally affects a younger age group around the age of ten to twenty years old, although there have been known cases of Osteosarcoma in patients as young as three years old and as old as thirty. Osteosarcoma is most commonly found in the knee region but is also found in the upper leg (femur), upper arms and pelvic region.
Ewing’s Sarcoma is another form of bone cancer that affects children and young adults. This is a highly malignant tumor that originates inside of bone marrow. Generally, those aged four to fifteen years of age are those most affected by Ewing’s Sarcoma. Because Ewing’s Sarcoma (along with all types of bone cancer) is so rare, a screening program is not normally recommended.
Chondrosarcoma is the only type of bone cancer that does not generally affect a younger generation, but rather those who are over the age of fifty years old. This cancer develops in the cartilage of a bone and is generally found in the pelvis, femur, arm, knee and spine and occasionally, albeit not typically, Chondrosarcoma can be found in the ribs. It is the second most common form of primary cancer.
The symptoms of bone cancer are usually all the same, regardless of which type of cancer you have. Most people first complain of having direct, localized pain in your body that begins as a small dull ache and progressively increases in pain as the tumor begins to expand your bone. Extreme exhaustion or fatigue accompanied by anemia is another symptom to be aware of. Also, small or large fractures in your body that cannot be explained or that you did something that should not have warranted a fracture or break in the bone. A bone scan and biopsy will further be able to tell you if you have cancer and which types of bone cancer you have and what course of treatment is best for you.
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