ALTERNATIVE THERAPRIES SERIES :36 BONE CANCER

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

BONE CANCER


SYMPTOMS

• A hard lump felt on the surface of a bone that may or may not be painful.

• Pain or swelling in bones and joints, often more intense at night, and not necessarily associated with movement; the pain may be dull and constant, or may be felt only when pressure is applied.

• Spontaneous bone fractures.

• Fever, weight loss, fatigue, and impaired mobility, which sometimes occur in rate stages of bone cancer.

WHAT IS BONE CANCER

Most primary bone tumours those that originate in bone, cartilage, or other bone tissues are benign, not cancerous. Primary bone cancer is rare, accounting for less than 1 parent of all cancer diagnosis in the U.S. each year. Far more common are secondary cancer that spread to bones from cancers in other parts of the body. Primary bone cancer generally attack young people, especially those who are unusually tall for their age. Of the main types, osteosarcoma account for nearly 60 per cent of all primary bone cancer; it tends to affect teenagers, whose bones are in a stage of a rapid growth. Ewing’s sarcoma originates in bone marrow and occurs most often in children between the age of 5 and 9 and in young adults between the age of 20 and 30. Chondrosarcoma originates in cartilage and tends to attack middle age adults; other, less common type of bone cancer that occur in adults include fibro sarcoma, malignant giant cell tumour, and chordae. Primary bone cancer can lethal disease, but improved methods of detection and treatment have raised the five year survival rate to more than 70 per cent. the likelihood of cure depends largely on how early a tumour is detected and how rapidly the particular cancer tends to spread. The survival rate of secondary bone cancer varies. Benign tumour normally pose no long term health risk.

CAUSES

In most cases of primary bone cancer, specific causes cannot be identified, but some cases may have genetic links. Certain chromosome abnormalities and handful or rare, genetically linked disease have been associated with bone cancer. Cancer is more likely to occur in bones that have been fractured or infected in the past. Exposure to specific carcinogens, such as chemicals in some kinds of dyes and paints, may increase the risk of bone cancer slightly. High dose radiation and certain chemotherapeutic agents particularly the so called alkylating agents may also be associated with some types of bone cancer.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURE

When suggest bone cancer, a doctor will run blood test to eliminate other possible causes. X-ray and other imaging tests are used to identify bone tumour, and biopsy is taken for a positive diagnosis. If a tumour is cancerous, tests are run to check for metastasis the spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another.

TREATMENT

When cancer is diagnosed, there is no acceptable substitute for conventional medical treatment. Alternative therapies may complement, but cannot replace, conventional care.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

When possible, bone tumours are removed surgically. If the cancer is in an arm or a leg, the tumour can be removed without amputation in about 90 per cent of cases; the surgeon then reconstruct the bone using a metal prosthesis. If amputation is unavoidable, the patient is usually fitted with an artificial limb. Patient who have had bone cancer surgery are encourage to begin physical therapy as soon as possible in order to overcome stiffness, improve mobility, and if necessary learn how to use their new artificial limb. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be given before surgery to reduce the size of tumour, and radiation may be use after a surgery to kill stray cancer cells. Both radiation and chemotherapy arte also used to treat inoperable bone cancer. Together they may keep cancer from spreading but rarely bring about full cure. Some doctor are experimenting supplementary immunotherapy so that lower doses of radiation and chemotherapy can be given without compromising the overall effectiveness of treatment.

COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

Many alternative therapies have been shown alleviate stresses associated with cancer and its treatment. Some body work therapies, such as the feldenkrais and aston patterning methods, may be particularly beneficial to people adjusting mentally and physically to using an artificially limb.

PREVENTION

Always heed safety warnings when using paint, solvents, pesticides, households cancer, and other products that may contain carcinogens chemicals. If you have ever been treated with radiation in the past, be alert for bone cancer symptoms and see a doctor at once if they occur.