Is bone lucency a cancer?
Lucent lesions of the sternum should be considered malignant until proven otherwise (Helms CA, personal communication, 1983). Keep in mind that the classic descriptions of bone tumors that you spend so much time studying are for untreated lesions.
Why does osteosarcoma occur?
Most osteosarcomas are not caused by inherited gene mutations, but instead are the result of gene changes acquired during the person’s lifetime. Sometimes these gene changes are caused by radiation therapy used to treat another form of cancer, because radiation can damage the DNA inside cells.
Can bone cancer kill you?
Cancer in the bones can cause too much calcium (hypercalcemia) to be released into the bloodstream. This can affect the proper functioning of the heart, kidneys, and muscles. It can also cause neurological symptoms, such as confusion, memory loss, and depression. High calcium levels can lead to coma or death.
Can osteosarcoma be cured?
Low grade: A small number of osteosarcomas are low grade, meaning they are likely to grow slowly. Patients with low-grade, resectable osteosarcomas can often be cured with surgery alone (without chemo). However, if the tumor removed by surgery is found to be high grade on lab tests, chemo might then be recommended.
How long is life expectancy with bone cancer?
The overall five-year survival rate for all bone cancers in adults and children is about 70%. Chondrosarcomas in adults have an overall five-year survival rate of about 80%. The five-year survival rate specifically for localized osteosarcomas is about 60%-80%.
Why is a bone cancer called an osteosarcoma?
An osteosarcoma is so called, because it is a cancerous tumor that is derived from a mesenchymal stem cell precursor (thus, by definition a sarcoma). The malignant cells produce immature woven bone, or osteoid, which is why the tumor is named osteosarcoma–it is a bone-producing sarcoma.
Who is most likely to be affected by osteosarcoma?
The cancer cells in these tumors look like early forms of bone cells that normally help make new bone tissue, but the bone tissue in an osteosarcoma is not as strong as that of normal bones. Most osteosarcomas occur in children and young adults. Teens are the most commonly affected age group, but osteosarcoma can develop at any age.
How old do you have to be to get osteosarcoma?
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone sarcoma that usually develops in growing bones. It is most often found in teenagers and young adults. But it can happen at any age. About 1 in 10 osteosarcomas (10%) develop in adults in their 60s and 70s. It is slightly more common in men than women. Osteosarcoma can affect any bone.
How big can osteosarcoma be on the femur?
Macroscopy: Conventional osteosarcoma can arise in any bone, but most often affects the ends of the long bones, in particular the distal femur (30%), proximal tibia (15%) and proximal humerus (15%). It is often a fleshy or hard tumour 5-10 cm in size localized at the metaphysis (90%) or diaphysis 9%) and very rarely the epiphysis of the bone.
What are the first signs of osteosarcoma, symptoms?
Signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma may include, among others: Swelling near a bone Bone or joint pain Bone injury or bone break for no clear reason
Where does bone cancer start, osteosarcoma?
For example, the most common type of bone cancer is osteosarcoma, which forms in the bone cells, most often in patients between the ages of 10 and 30. In children, the tumor often begins in spots where the bone is growing quickly, like the upper shin bone, lower thigh bone or the upper arm bone.
What is the prognosis for spinal bone cancer?
Survival Rate. The mean survival rate of spinal cancer is up to 40% when treatments are instituted. Some forms may have as low as 8% survival rate and others as high as 84% depending on the location, type and prognostic factors of the patient.
What is the prognosis of jaw bone cancer?
Prompt treatment of jaw cancer in its early stages provides a successful result. The survival rate of jaw cancer is 40% for men and 50% for women at the time diagnosis and treatment is made regardless of the stage.