Tumour Reconstruction
In simple words, a bone tumour which is non-cancerous i.e. which does not have the potential to spread to other regions of the body or invade other local tissues is called a benign bone tumour.
Tumours of the bone can be either benign or malignant, the malignant variety being more of a challenge to treat. Furthermore malignant tumours could be either primary tumour of the bone or secondary deposits from tumours elsewhere in the body. The most common bone tumours encountered are osteosarcomas, Ewing's sarcoma, etc. The most common sites of occurrence are around the knee joint - either distal femur or proximal tibia. The dramatic change of events from amputation to limb salvage surgeries has heralded a new hope to these patients who have this form of cancer.
Warning signs
- Bone pain
- Swelling and tenderness near the joint
- Difficulty in normal movements
- Broken bone
- Fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
Risk factors
Most of the patients who develop bone cancer do not have any risk factor. However, certain factors are associated with an increased risk, including:
- Inherited genetic syndromes like Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Hereditary Retinoblastoma
- Pagets disease of bone that occurs mostly in older adults
- Difficulty in normal movements
- Exposure to large doses of radiation, such as those given during radiation therapy for cancer, increases the risk of bone cancer in the future