Essay On Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma, what is it? What does it do? How can we stop it? If we are unable to stop it how do we treat it? First, what is it? Well, Osteosarcoma is a kind of cancer that affects the bones. It normally starts in the leg bones and spreads throughout the body and can get as far as the nose or nasal canal. Some symptoms of Osteosarcoma are pain,swelling, and bone fractures as stated by the American Cancer Society: “Pain in the affected bone (usually around the knee or in the upper arm) is the most common symptom of osteosarcoma. At first, the pain might not be constant and may be worse at night. The pain often increases with activity and may result in a limp if the tumor is in a leg bone.” “Although osteosarcoma might weaken the bone it develops in, the bones often do not break. Telangiectatic osteosarcomas, which are rare, tend to weaken
However, they do know that it might be linked to a handful of other conditions like how much radiation your bones are exposed to or it is passed through by DNA as stated by the American Cancer Society: “People who were treated with radiation therapy for another cancer might have a higher risk of later developing osteosarcoma in the area that was treated. Being treated at a younger age and being treated with higher doses of radiation both increase the risk of developing osteosarcoma.” So, what exactly happens when a person has Osteosarcoma? Like most cancers, cells rapidly grow and create a tumor. It is the same with Osteosarcoma, the cells in the bone rapidly multiply without stopping and create tumors around the shins, knees, and even on the shoulder and various other places where there are bones.However, the main place that it affects is the leg area. How exactly do we identify Osteosarcoma? Osteosarcoma is diagnosed using various tests like MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to get a better look at the tumors or they use bone