More information about osteosarcoma

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Jay Shields

OSTEOSARCOMA FOUNDATION

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Education

	What is Osteosarcoma?		ADDITIONAL INFO
	Sarcoma is a cancer of the connective tissue (nerves, muscle, bone, tendons, etc...) that is diagnosed in approximately 11,000 Americans each year. Osteosarcoma is specifically a sarcoma (cancer) of the bone, or a bone tumor. Nearly 80% of osteosarcomas occur in the thigh bone closest to the knee, or the lower leg bone near the knee. Osteosarcoma may also develop in the upper arm bone connected to the shoulder. While osteosarcoma is rare and can occur in both adults and children, it is the most common bone cancer in children and teenagers, representing 15-20% of childhood cancer. It is also more likely to occur in males than females.		www.cancer.org www.curesarcoma.org Wolfson's Children's Hospital M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

	What are the symptoms of Osteosarcoma?
	Constant unexplained dull ache in the bone or joint that doesn't go away with normal treatment Pain may increase at night when sleeping Pain increases over time instead of getting better Swelling or lump at the area of the pain If the tumor is in the leg, the child may limp Muscles in the leg or arm may appear smaller A break in the bone at the site of the tumor may be the first sign of the disease.

	How do you get Osteosarcoma?
	There is no specific cause for osteosarcoma. You can't catch it from a sibling or contact with other people with the cancer. According to studies, tumor development during a child's growth spurt and radiation treatment for other cancers are both thought to increase the risk of osteosarcoma. Symptoms, such as pain and swelling, are typically mistaken for normal child or teenage pains, especially if the person is involved in sports, or is active in dance or other activities where muscle and joint pain is common. Osteosarcoma is typically diagnosed by an X-ray. In addition, an MRI and CT scan are also performed to show doctors how much of the bone the tumor has destroyed and whether it has spread. A biopsy, a surgical procedure to take a sample from the bone, is needed to confirm the presence of cancer cells.

	How do they treat Osteosarcoma?
	Treatments for osteosarcoma, as for other cancers, is a combination of chemotherapy (using drugs to kill the cancer cells) and/or radiation therapy (which uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells as it shrinks the tumor) and/or surgery (which removes the cancer and some healthy tissue around the cancer so all the potential cancer cells are removed). Depending on the individual patient, doctor and medical facility, treatment may begin with chemotherapy, then surgery and follow with post-surgery treatment that may include: chemotherapy, radiation, nutrition, homeopathic, hormone or biological therapy. The goal is to destroy any remaining cancer cells and stop the spread of cancer cells through the blood stream or other body systems, and also help the person regain strength after treatment. As with all cancer treatments, the child may be weak, lose their hair and lose weight, but those issues will go away with time and recovery.
	At one time, nearly all children with osteosarcoma had to undergo amputation of the part of the leg or arm with the tumor. Today, doctors are typically able to perform surgery to remove the tumor and place an artificial device or sterilized cadaver bone in the area where the cancerous bone was removed.
	"Surgery is the main method of treating osteosarcoma, although some types of Sarcoma responsd well to surgery plus chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. A cure is most likely if the Sarcoma is detected when it is small; however, too often Sarcoma is not discovered until it has grown too large to be cured. When this happens, the available treatment options become very limited. It is for this reason that funding for additonal medical research is needed." [Sarcoma Foundation of America] Find out how you can make a donation today...

	What will happen after treatment for Osteosarcoma?
	Long-term survival is based on many factors, including if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Even if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, there is still a good chance of survival with effective treatment. New treatments are constantly under development, so the percentage of survival is expected to increase with further research towards a cure.

	Where can I find more information?
	You can visit the Web sites listed at the right by clicking on the links. However, don't forget to mark this site as a favorite so you can return easily!

Jay Shields Osteosarcoma Foundation, Inc. ~ Jacksonville, FL ~ 904.568.6028 ~ jaysfoundation@comcast.net