Cancer of the bone or bone cancer is a general term used when cancer cells are seen in the bone. Cancer that begins in the bone is called primary bone cancer. It is found most often in the arms and legs but it can occur in any bone in the body. Children and young people are more likely than adults to have bone cancers.

In young people, the most common type of bone cancer is osteosarcoma, usually occurring between the ages of ten and twenty-five. More often, males are affected than females. Osteosarcoma frequently starts in the ends of the bones; where new bone tissue forms as a young person grows, usually affecting the long bones of the arms and legs. Ewing's sarcoma usually affects teenagers, and is mostly found in people between ten and twenty-five years old.

Bone cancer is rare and accounts for less than 1% of all new tumors. Not all bone tumors are fatal in fact benign (non cancerous) abnormalities are more common than malignant ones. Most bone cancers are secondary and have been spread from another site. Primary bone cancer which starts in the bone is quite rare constituting less than one per cent of all malignant tumors. They are more common in males, especially in children and adolescents. The most common type of primary bone cancer is osteosarcoma. This type of carcinoma usually affects young adults. It can affect any bone, but the arms, legs and pelvis are more commonly affected. Other less common forms of primary bone cancer include Ewing sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and chondrosarcoma.

Some of these signs can be caused by calcium deposits from the bones making their way into the bloodstream, raising calcium levels to such a height that their build-up causes a tumor.

Remember that things like swelling can be a major cause for concern. This is because they only become noticeable once the tumor has grown. These can also be hard to spot because their source may lie deep inside the tissues, making them hard to notice until it's too late.

Bone cancer can present itself in any of the bones of the body, but it is diagnosed most often in the long bones of the arms and legs.

Diagnosing bone cancer involves a number of tests, including: X-rays and bone scans to show the exact location and size of the cancer (these are always done prior to biopsy), bone biopsy where a small sample of the cancer is removed from the bone and examined in the laboratory for the presence of malignant cells, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan similar to a CT scan but uses magnetism instead of x-rays to build three-dimensional pictures of your body.

The treatment and prognosis of bone cancer depend upon multiple factors including the type and extent of the cancer, the patient's age and overall health status. Tumors may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these.

Most of the time surgery is the best way to treat the this cancer. During surgery, the whole tumor part is removed completely. After the surgery gets over, the pathologist checks whether the normal bone is present or still there is some signs of the cancer. If the remains of the cancer are traced then amputations are used to cure the bone cancer.

The other two methods are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is employed before the surgery to reduce the size of the tumor so that it will be easy to perform the surgery. Also if traces are left behind after the surgery the same method can be used to remove the cancer cells permanently. Also radiation therapy is preferred.

Read about Skin Supplements also read Blood Purifier and skin care supplements .

To add a comment please login by clicking here