Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Bone Cancer

Symptoms Of Bone Cancer - Bone cancer can occur in all bones of the body, but it usually occurs in the short and long bones of the limbs. People who suffer from bone cancer initially (almost) nothing. But they may also have an unpleasant feeling in the affected bone. This is a first symptom that forms a malignant tumor in the bone.

When the tumor has grown, someone feels pain in the affected bone. The tumor's site is then swollen and painful in contact. As the tumor develops in the bone, he has grown to the bone. The skin above the tumor is usually red and swollen and warm to touch. As time progresses, the tissue becomes more swollen and increases the pain, causing the site to become sensitive to contact.

People with bone cancer can also suffer from other symptoms, such as:

• An increased temperature at the tumor site.
• Less moving joints when the tumor lies close to a joint.
• A fracture of the diseased bone that can break through the destruction of bone tissue even in case of light injury. This is called a pathological fracture.

Diagnosis Of Bone Cancer

The diagnosis of bone cancer is initially based on patient complaints and on physical examination.

In the case of suspected bone cancer, a CT scan and an MRI scan are good tools to determine the type of tumor and see how far it has expanded. The diagnosis can be confirmed by a biopsy in most of these conditions.

Botscintigraphy is also used. This is a botscan made using an X-ray after injection of a special dye (contrast fluid). This shows that the bone has absorbed more of the dye in certain places. These are the areas where the tumor occurs.

Laboratory research shows that in the blood an increased amount of alkaline phosphatase occurs. This enzyme helps bone metabolism. Also, the blood level of another enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, is sometimes increased.

*Image source : Flickr

References :

1. National Cancer Institute
2. Medicinfo Encyclopedia
3. American Cancer Society