Osteosarcoma Case Studies
Osteosarcoma
I. General Characteristics
A cancerous (malignant) bone tumor
Usually develops in teenagers (occurs when a teen is growing rapidly)
Most common bone cancer in children
There are about 800 new cases of osteosarcoma in the US each year
Tends to appear in the upper arm, thigh, and shin though it can appear in any bone Can be fatal
If tumor has not spread to the lungs long-term survival rates are better
60% to 80% localized 5-year survival rate
At least 23 types of osteosarcoma
II. Cause
Cause unknown
Risk factors include age, height, gender, ethnicity, radiation to bones, and certain bone diseases and syndromes
Higher risk if it runs in the family
III. Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms include bone fracture, pain, limitation of motion, limping (if in leg), pain when lifting (if in arm), tenderness, and swelling starts in the cells that make bone low grade, intermediate grade, and high grade
IV. Diagnosis
No special tests to find osteosarcoma in people …show more content…
without symptoms or strong risk factors
If symptoms point towards osteosarcoma tests will be done
MRI’S, CT’S, chest x-rays, bone scans, and PET scans
A biopsy of the bone is taken and sent to a lab which tells osteosarcoma apart from other cancers V. Treatment
Can be treated successfully
Types of treatment include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation
In most cases surgery and chemo are needed
Main goal of surgery is to remove all cancer
Chemo kills cancer cells
General Characteristics
Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in the bones. It is most common in teens. Out of the nearly 800 new cases a year in the US 400 are children and teens(Cancer.org, 2013).
Osteosarcoma often starts near the ends of the long bones in the legs, especially in the part of the thigh bone next to the knee as seen in figure 1, and the part of the lower leg bone next to the knee. The arm bone near the shoulder is the second most common place for this cancer to start. But it can start in other bones, too, like the hip bone, shoulder, or jaw. Osteosarcoma has a high survival rate when it has not metastasized (spread to other parts of the body). Once it has metastasized the survival rates are slim.
Causes
The cause, like most cancers, is unknown.
However there are factors that may put people at a higher risk. The risk is the highest for those between the ages 10 and 30, but especially during the teenage growth spurt. This shows that there might be a link between rapid bone growth and possible tumor formation. The risk goes down towards the middle of life then rises again in older age. Children with osteosarcoma are usually tall for their age, again suggesting the link between rapid growth and tumor. This cancer is less common in girls than in boys. Females also tend to get it sooner because of earlier growth spurts. Also affecting race, more African Americans are affected than whites. Those who were treated with radiation for another cancer may have a higher risk of developing osteosarcoma in the place that was treated. People with certain non-cancerous bone diseases like paget disease and Multiple hereditary osteochondromas have an increased risk of developing
osteosarcoma.
Signs and Symptoms
There are no tests to recognize osteosarcoma before symptoms arise. Symptoms include bone fracture, pain, limitation of motion, limping (if in leg), pain when lifting
(of in arm), tenderness, and swelling. Pain is the most common symptom, located around the growth of the tumor. Swelling is the next most common symptom, thought it may take a while longer after the pain has started. Depending on where and how big the tumor is, it may be possible to feel a lump. Osteosarcoma softens bones and makes them more fragile and weak. Those with a fracture next to or through an osteosarcoma often times describe a limb which was sore for a long time and suddenly became very painful when the fracture happened. Osteosarcomas are usually detected when a person describes signs or symptoms they have noticed to their doctor.
Diagnosis
Once seen by a doctor who suspects osteosarcoma after examination of symptoms, the patient receives tests to detect the location of the possible tumor. Possible test include MRI’S, CT’S, x-rays (figure 2), bone scans, and PET scans. Once a tumor is found a needle or surgical biopsy of the mass is taken and sent to a pathologist. The doctor tests the sample to distinguish the type and grade of the cancer. The grade depends on how quickly the cancer is growing.
Treatment
There is no way to protect yourself from osteosarcoma. If detected soon, osteosarcoma has a high survival rate. Types of treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Most cases rely on both surgery and chemo. The goal of surgery is to remove all the cancer. Even if only a couple of cancer cells are left behind they can grow and reproduce to create another tumor. This is why when taking out the cancer, surgeons also cut out some of the tissue surrounding the tumor. This is called wide excision. A wide excision with clean margins (no cancer cells seen at edge of tissue) minimizes the risk that the cancer will grow back where it started. In serious cases when the cancer has spread into the nerves and/or blood vessels amputation may be necessary. Chemotherapy is usually used before and after surgery to kill cancer cells. Some people get chemo for as long as a year after surgery.
References
Osteosarcoma. (n.d.). NCBI. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002616/
Osteosarcoma: An Introduction. (n.d.). Liddy Shriver Sarcoma
Initiative. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://sarcomahelp.org/osteosarcoma.html#tpm1_2
Osteosarcoma Overview. (n.d.). Overview Guide. Retrieved
November 14, 2013, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/osteosarcoma/overviewguide/index
Images
Knee Bone Osteosarcoma . (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM04145
Osteosarcoma Knee Image Radiopaedia. (2013, November 14). Discover
About Health RSS. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://safetyca.info/diseases/osteosarcoma-knee-image-radiopaedia
I. General Characteristics
A cancerous (malignant) bone tumor
Usually develops in teenagers (occurs when a teen is growing rapidly)
Most common bone cancer in children
There are about 800 new cases of osteosarcoma in the US each year
Tends to appear in the upper arm, thigh, and shin though it can appear in any bone Can be fatal
If tumor has not spread to the lungs long-term survival rates are better
60% to 80% localized 5-year survival rate
At least 23 types of osteosarcoma
II. Cause
Cause unknown
Risk factors include age, height, gender, ethnicity, radiation to bones, and certain bone diseases and syndromes
Higher risk if it runs in the family
III. Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms include bone fracture, pain, limitation of motion, limping (if in leg), pain when lifting (if in arm), tenderness, and swelling starts in the cells that make bone low grade, intermediate grade, and high grade
IV. Diagnosis
No special tests to find osteosarcoma in people …show more content…
without symptoms or strong risk factors
If symptoms point towards osteosarcoma tests will be done
MRI’S, CT’S, chest x-rays, bone scans, and PET scans
A biopsy of the bone is taken and sent to a lab which tells osteosarcoma apart from other cancers V. Treatment
Can be treated successfully
Types of treatment include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation
In most cases surgery and chemo are needed
Main goal of surgery is to remove all cancer
Chemo kills cancer cells
General Characteristics
Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in the bones. It is most common in teens. Out of the nearly 800 new cases a year in the US 400 are children and teens(Cancer.org, 2013).
Osteosarcoma often starts near the ends of the long bones in the legs, especially in the part of the thigh bone next to the knee as seen in figure 1, and the part of the lower leg bone next to the knee. The arm bone near the shoulder is the second most common place for this cancer to start. But it can start in other bones, too, like the hip bone, shoulder, or jaw. Osteosarcoma has a high survival rate when it has not metastasized (spread to other parts of the body). Once it has metastasized the survival rates are slim.
Causes
The cause, like most cancers, is unknown.
However there are factors that may put people at a higher risk. The risk is the highest for those between the ages 10 and 30, but especially during the teenage growth spurt. This shows that there might be a link between rapid bone growth and possible tumor formation. The risk goes down towards the middle of life then rises again in older age. Children with osteosarcoma are usually tall for their age, again suggesting the link between rapid growth and tumor. This cancer is less common in girls than in boys. Females also tend to get it sooner because of earlier growth spurts. Also affecting race, more African Americans are affected than whites. Those who were treated with radiation for another cancer may have a higher risk of developing osteosarcoma in the place that was treated. People with certain non-cancerous bone diseases like paget disease and Multiple hereditary osteochondromas have an increased risk of developing
osteosarcoma.
Signs and Symptoms
There are no tests to recognize osteosarcoma before symptoms arise. Symptoms include bone fracture, pain, limitation of motion, limping (if in leg), pain when lifting
(of in arm), tenderness, and swelling. Pain is the most common symptom, located around the growth of the tumor. Swelling is the next most common symptom, thought it may take a while longer after the pain has started. Depending on where and how big the tumor is, it may be possible to feel a lump. Osteosarcoma softens bones and makes them more fragile and weak. Those with a fracture next to or through an osteosarcoma often times describe a limb which was sore for a long time and suddenly became very painful when the fracture happened. Osteosarcomas are usually detected when a person describes signs or symptoms they have noticed to their doctor.
Diagnosis
Once seen by a doctor who suspects osteosarcoma after examination of symptoms, the patient receives tests to detect the location of the possible tumor. Possible test include MRI’S, CT’S, x-rays (figure 2), bone scans, and PET scans. Once a tumor is found a needle or surgical biopsy of the mass is taken and sent to a pathologist. The doctor tests the sample to distinguish the type and grade of the cancer. The grade depends on how quickly the cancer is growing.
Treatment
There is no way to protect yourself from osteosarcoma. If detected soon, osteosarcoma has a high survival rate. Types of treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Most cases rely on both surgery and chemo. The goal of surgery is to remove all the cancer. Even if only a couple of cancer cells are left behind they can grow and reproduce to create another tumor. This is why when taking out the cancer, surgeons also cut out some of the tissue surrounding the tumor. This is called wide excision. A wide excision with clean margins (no cancer cells seen at edge of tissue) minimizes the risk that the cancer will grow back where it started. In serious cases when the cancer has spread into the nerves and/or blood vessels amputation may be necessary. Chemotherapy is usually used before and after surgery to kill cancer cells. Some people get chemo for as long as a year after surgery.
References
Osteosarcoma. (n.d.). NCBI. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002616/
Osteosarcoma: An Introduction. (n.d.). Liddy Shriver Sarcoma
Initiative. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://sarcomahelp.org/osteosarcoma.html#tpm1_2
Osteosarcoma Overview. (n.d.). Overview Guide. Retrieved
November 14, 2013, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/osteosarcoma/overviewguide/index
Images
Knee Bone Osteosarcoma . (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM04145
Osteosarcoma Knee Image Radiopaedia. (2013, November 14). Discover
About Health RSS. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://safetyca.info/diseases/osteosarcoma-knee-image-radiopaedia