According to statistics from the health sector, bone cancer is detected more frequently in children and adolescents, aged 9-19. It is more common in children who grow taller than children of the same age. It is more common in men than women. The disease tends to progress slowly, with unclear symptoms, so patients often go for examination at a late stage.
Dr. Nguyen Hong Cau, Provincial Center for Disease Control, said: “The cause of bone cancer is not yet determined exactly, but there are certain factors that can contribute to or increase the possibility of forming abnormal tumors growing in a person’s bones. These include genetic factors; people who have received treatment or radiation in the past; Paget’s disease currently or previously had multiple tumors in cartilage, which is the connective tissue in bones.”
A cancer patient is being treated and cared for at the Oncology Department, Ca Mau General Hospital.
According to oncologists, when a cancerous tumor develops, the patient may experience many symptoms, but pain is the most common symptom. Arthritis, osteoporosis or trauma can be similar to many symptoms. Therefore, any signs of pain, swelling of the joints need to be monitored by a specialist to prevent the risk of cancer.
Regarding the treatment methods for bone cancer, Dr. To Minh Nghi, Deputy Director of Ca Mau General Hospital, said: “Treatment of bone cancer is a multi-modality combining many specialties such as: Orthopedic trauma, diagnostic imaging, pathological anatomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy. Currently, the treatment of bone cancer has achieved positive results, with a 5-year survival rate of 70%”.
According to the Oncology specialists of Ca Mau General Hospital, bone cancer often occurs silently with not too many symptoms in the early stages and is easily confused with other diseases. In general, bone cancer is a rare disease. The rate is less than 1% of all cancers and it also depends on age. Bone cancer is common in adolescents, rarely in the elderly. According to the location of the tumor, bone cancer is often "near the knee, far from the elbow". That is, it is often found in the upper end of the tibia, the lower end of the femur (near the knee), the upper end of the humerus, the lower end of the radius (far from the elbow).
The most recognizable signs of bone cancer are: Severe pain, the appearance of a tumor, weak bones and very easy to break. A typical example is the initial vague pain in the bone, then the pain is clear in short periods, very uncomfortable. The pain often appears at night. The stage is clear, continuous pain, using regular pain relievers does not reduce. The tumor can be detected before, at the same time, or after the pain symptom. The tumor starts as a swollen, firm mass, raised on the skin, unclear edges, painless when palpated. Later, the tumor grows rapidly, causing deformation, invading soft tissue, and pain when examined.
Cancer destroys bone, spontaneous fractures cause sharp pain and reduced function. Some cases of fractures are caused by light collisions, which can make the patient easily mistake the fracture for trauma. Notably, in the later stages, the patient may lose weight for no apparent reason and feel tired. The affected bone may enlarge or fracture without trauma, and the patient may limp.
Compared to the early stages, the success rate of treatment at late detection will be significantly reduced, meaning the possibility of death is higher. Therefore, as soon as abnormal signs are detected, patients should proactively contact doctors for early diagnosis of bone cancer./.
Phuong Vu
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