What are the symptoms of bone cancer in adults?
The main symptoms include:
- persistent bone pain that gets worse over time and continues into the night.
- swelling and redness (inflammation) over a bone, which can make movement difficult if the affected bone is near a joint.
- a noticeable lump over a bone.
- a weak bone that breaks (fractures) more easily than normal.
Is bone sarcoma curable?
Not usually. Though some people will die of bone cancer, many others will make a full recovery. The five-year relative survival rate for bone cancer is 66.8%. This means that 66.8% of people with bone cancer are still alive five years after their diagnosis.
Is bone sarcoma the same as bone cancer?
Primary bone cancers (cancers that start in the bone itself) are also known as bone sarcomas. (Sarcomas are cancers that start in bone, muscle, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, fat tissue, as well as some other tissues. They can develop anywhere in the body.) There are many kinds of primary bone cancer.
What causes bone sarcoma?
The cause of most bone cancers is unknown. A small number of bone cancers have been linked to hereditary factors, while others are related to previous radiation exposure.
What is the most common site of a primary bone sarcoma?
Bone sarcomas are primary bone tumors, which means that they start in the bones. They are usually found in children. Osteosarcoma, the most common type of primary bone cancer, usually occurs in the thigh, upper arm or shin.
What is the most common age for females to be diagnosed with osteosarcoma?
Most osteosarcomas occur in children, teens, and young adults between the ages of 10 and 30. Teens are the most commonly affected age group, but people of any age can develop osteosarcoma. About 1 in 10 osteosarcomas occur in people older than 60.
Will bone cancer show up in blood work?
Blood tests. Blood tests are not needed to diagnose bone cancer, but they may be helpful once a diagnosis is made. For example, high levels of chemicals in the blood such as alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) can suggest that the cancer may be more advanced.
How serious is a bone tumor?
Most bone tumors are benign (not cancerous). Benign tumors are usually not life-threatening and, in most cases, will not spread to other parts of the body. Depending upon the type of tumor, treatment options are wide-ranging — from simple observation to surgery to remove the tumor.
How long can someone with sarcoma live?
They can’t tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful….5-year relative survival rates for soft tissue sarcoma.
| SEER Stage | 5-Year Relative Survival Rate |
|---|---|
| Localized | 81% |
| Regional | 56% |
| Distant | 15% |
| All SEER stages combined | 65% |