About Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common types of bone cancer that attacks teenagers aged 20 and younger and children. These types of bone cancer generally attack large-sized bones on the part that have the fastest growth rate. Therefore, bone cancer usually develops in adolescence because in this period bone growth is in the fastest phase. So the risk of bone cancer increases in the period of bone growth. Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer in children.

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Osteosarcoma includes cancer aggressive, but the majority of patients can be cured by a combination of several treatment methods. In the age range of 0-24 years, men have the risk of bone cancer greater than women.

Symptoms of Osteosarcoma
The following are signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma:

• Pain and pain in the bones or joints.
• Limited body movements.
• Pain when touched, swelling, or lumps around the bone or on the tip of the bone.
• Limb, if the tumor lump is at the foot.
• The reins of bones are caused by something abnormal or fractures in routine movements.
• Pain when lifting something. This happens if the lump is on the hand.

Usually, the bones affected by bone cancer are thigh bones, dry bones, and knee bones. Tumors can also be formed on shoulder bones, pelvic bones, or jawbones.

Causes of Osteosarcoma
The condition that causes the development of bone cancer comes from the fault of genetic code in the DNA of a child. The fault of the code causes the cells responsible for bone growth to create osteosarcoma tumors. In some cases, bone cancer can also be caused. The only outside factor that can cause bone cancer is radiation exposure.

Osteosarcoma Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the doctor's step to identify diseases or conditions that explain the symptoms and signs of the patient. To diagnose osteosarcoma, the doctor will do the following:

• Blood tests. The function of blood tests is to detect bone cancer from changes in blood content. The image of blood test results can also distinguish whether your condition is bone cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Bone scan. This procedure is performed by injecting radioactive material into a vein. Normal bones will more slowly absorb radioactive substances than problematic bones. It is then done X-rays to see the comparison of radioactive material absorption.
• CT scans. This test serves to provide information on the spread of bone cancer to other organs.
• MRI scans. The results of this procedure can produce more detailed bone images as well as information on the spread of bone cancer.
• Positron emission tomography. This test will show how organs or tissues of the bodywork by utilizing radioactive material.
• X-ray imaging.
• Biopsy. If the imaging test is found in signs of osteosarcoma, the patient needs a biopsy. The surgeon will take tissue or bone samples from painful or swollen parts of the body.

Usually, bone cancer can be known from the beginning. Children or adolescents will say about the pain that is felt, or it can also be because parents see swelling and a lame way of walking.

Osteosarcoma Treatment
The treatment of bone cancer depends on the severity and location of bone cancer. Treatment is also done after the tumor biopsy process is completed. Generally, bone cancer is treated with several actions:

• Surgery. This action is performed to remove the tumor.
• Radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Usually, these two actions are done before surgery, to kill the cancer cells. The difference is that chemotherapy uses medicines, while radiation therapy uses an X-ray beam.
• Bone removal and amputation surgery. This procedure can be done if there has been no cancer spread out of the bone or if new cancer spreads in the tissues around the bone. Amputation will be done if cancer has spread to nerves, blood vessels, and skin.