7 early warning signs of bone cancer

Early symptoms of bone cancer are not easy to recognize, so if you do not pay attention to unusual changes in your body, you may miss the best opportunity to treat the disease at an early stage.

Bone cancer is a connective tissue cancer (sarcoma) that originates from osteoblasts, cartilage-forming cells, and bone connective tissue cells. The disease is rare, accounting for about 0.5% of all cancers. Bone cancer is often found near the knee and far from the elbow, meaning it is often found in the upper end of the tibia, lower end of the femur (near the knee), upper end of the humerus, and lower end of the radius (far from the elbow).

There are many causes of cancer, the most common of which is genetic disorders, which are internal factors of the body, related to the process of cell division with mutated genes. Some benign bone diseases can transform into bone cancer such as osteochondroma, hyperplasia of the epiphysis of long bones, Paget's disease of bone, fibrous dysplasia...

When sick, pain is the most common initial symptom. At first, there is a vague pain in the bone, then a clear pain in short periods, very uncomfortable. Symptoms of the tumor can appear before, at the same time or after the pain. The tumor initially appears as a swelling, firm, raised skin surface, unclear edges, painless when touched. Later, the tumor grows rapidly, causing deformation. The tumor invades soft tissue, causing pain when examined. The tumor causes neovascularization, the skin is warmer than other areas. The tumor density is soft in some places, firm in others, and tense due to blood clots.

Most patients when admitted to the hospital have severe bone cancer symptoms, making medical intervention very difficult. The following are abnormal signs of the bone, you should see a doctor immediately to determine whether it is cancer or not.

1. Pain

The main symptoms of bone tumors arise early, the disease initially only has mild, intermittent pain. Along with the progression of the disease, the pain can gradually increase, the development of pain is often fixed.

Most patients experience increased pain at night, affecting sleep. The pain is vague, and it is almost difficult to tell where the pain is coming from.

2. Swelling or lumps

In the early stages, a tumor may appear, and the bone may be deformed. As the swelling increases, the bone tissue may protrude, and the surface may become smooth or irregularly concave.

3. Bone dysfunction

When the patient has more severe or late stage bone cancer, it will cause some pain, swelling and bone function in the patient will be hindered, causing corresponding muscle atrophy symptoms.

4. Symptoms of compression

When a tumor develops in the skull and nasal cavity, it can compress the brain and nose, causing symptoms of slow brain pressure and respiratory problems.

Pelvic tumors compressing the rectum, bladder, and intestines can cause difficulty urinating, while spinal tumors compressing the spine can cause paralysis.

5. Body deformation

Due to the development of the tumor, it will affect the skeletal system of the limbs, causing symptoms of deformity, body deformation, and the lower limbs may have unusual changes compared to before.

6. Pathological fracture

The diseased bone can easily break if only slightly impacted, causing severe pain, often with symptoms of frequent bone pain, easy to fracture, and can also cause paralysis of the legs.

7. Body aches

When there is a late stage bone tumor, due to the toxins in the tumor stimulating pain, there may be a series of symptoms appearing throughout the body such as insomnia, discomfort, anorexia, listlessness, pallor, progressive weight loss, anemia, and cachexia.