7 early warning signs of bone cancer
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).
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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 the osteogenic cells, cartilage-forming cells, and connective tissue cells of the bone. The disease is rare, accounting for about 0.5% of all cancers. Bone cancer is often found near the knee, far from the elbow, meaning it is often found in the upper end of the tibia, the lower end of the femur (near the knee), the upper end of the humerus, and the 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 chondrosarcoma, hyperplasia of the epiphysis of long bones, Paget's disease of bone, fibrous dysplasia...
When sick, pain is the most common initial symptom. Initially, there is a vague pain in the bone, then a clear pain in short periods, very uncomfortable. Symptoms of the tumor may appear before, at the same time or after the pain. The tumor initially appears as a swelling, firm, raised skin surface, unclear edges, painless to touch. 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 symptoms of severe bone cancer, making medical intervention very difficult. The following are abnormal signs of the bone, you should go to the doctor immediately to determine whether it is cancer or not.
1. Pain
The main symptoms of bone tumors arise early, the disease initially only mild pain, not constant. 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 know where it 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 accompanying 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 fractures
The diseased bone can easily break if only slightly impacted, causing severe pain, often accompanied by symptoms of frequent bone pain, easy fracture, and can also cause paralysis of the legs.
7. Body aches
When there is a bone tumor in the late stage, 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.