回首頁LOGO按鈕

“Bone cancer” refers to the malignant tumor occurs in bones, and is generally classified as primary bone cancer and metastatic bone cancer.

• “Primary bone cancer” occurs when bone tissues have abnormal changes.
• “Metastatic bone cancer” refers to the malignant tumor in other organ transfers to bones. Basically, when a malignant tumor transfers to bones, the patient is at the terminal stage of such tumor.

Common primary bone cancers include myeloma, malignant osteosarcoma, malignant chondrosarcoma, Ewing’s malignant sarcoma, and malignant fibrosarcoma.

Bone Cancer Treatments

In recent years, bone cancer treatments have been progressing tremendously in medical domain. High dose of chemotherapy improves bone cancer treatment results; while MRI indicates clearly the range of bones being invaded by the tumor. These technologies help doctors remove tumors completely in the surgery and increase the success rate of limb preservation, which lowers the percentage of patients who need amputation.

Limb Reconstruction

Technologies on limb reconstruction after tumor reductive surgery have progressed dramatically as well. In recent years, modular type artificial joints can be adjusted on length and sizes to fit the conditions of bone defects, which gains time for treatments. Moreover, the establishment of Allograft Bone-Tissue Bank is another source for bone replacement. However, it is hard to obtain donated bones due to social customs or cannot find right size or shape to match the patient’s needs. To solve this problem, extra-corporal irradiation is used to kill all cancerous cells with high dose of radiation. Then the treated bones (the structure of bones) with original size and shape are placed back to the body, which provides better healing at the contact point than using donated bones.

Metastasis

“Bone cancer” often metastasizes to lungs. If cancer is diagnosed after metastasizing to lungs, the prognosis will be impacted greatly. However, with the progress of thoracic surgery, one third of the patients still have promising survival rate after the cancer metastasizes to lungs. Biopsy is required when bone cancer is concerned or for acquiring the type of bone cancer. Biopsy must be done by orthopedists specialized in bone cancer for accurate method, location, and size of biopsy, which has direct influence on the success of limb preservation surgery and the following treatments. If the location of biopsy is not accurate or the normal tissues are polluted during biopsy procedure, the reoccurrence rate of bone cancer will increase.

Prognosis

Due to the progress of various treatments, at least 90% of the patients do not need amputation. Besides, the topical reoccurrence rate after limb preservation surgery is lower than 8%. As far as 5 years of survival rate varies depending on the type of bone cancer and its location.

Bone cancer can be cured for sure. The key is “early diagnosis, early intervention”. Please go to an orthopedist as soon as possible when you find unknown lumps in bones and they grow bigger fast, especially when obvious and continuous pain occurs. Please do not mistake it as sport injury.