Bone cancer: Reasons why you shouldn't ignore these signs!

Despite advances in medical research, which have made possible for early detection of various types of cancers, unfortunately there's no special test that can help detect bone cancers early.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: A bone cancer can be defined as a malignant tumour of the bone that destroys normal bone tissue. In other words, bone cancer is an uncommon cancer that starts in the bone.

Several types of bone cancer are there. While some types of bone cancer occur primarily in children, others affect mostly adults.

It's not known what causes bone cancers, but researchers have found several factors that may raise a person's risk of getting the disease, including age, genetics, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, benign tumours or other bone conditions.

Despite advances in medical research, which have made possible for early detection of various types of cancers such as breast, cervical, colorectal and skin cancers, unfortunately there's no special test that can help detect bone cancers early.

Therefore, paying attention to bone cancer signs and symptoms and getting them checked by a doctor as soon as possible is the best strategy to take care of this disease.

Signs and symptoms of bone cancer vary depending on the size of the cancer and where it is in the body. Common symptoms include:

• Pain in the bone – the pain may come and go at first, and thenit can become more severe and steady.
• Swelling and tenderness near the affected area
• Broken bone
• Problems with movement
• Other less common symptoms are - weight loss, fatigue, fever, and anemia.

There's no cure for bone cancer currently, however, the earlier a cancer is picked up, the treatment is likely to be successful.