| Cancer control has taken America by storm. Thanks | | | | affects the bone cartilage and usually occurs in |
| to better treatment options and earlier detection, | | | | patients after age twenty. Risks for developing this |
| cancer rates have declined significantly within the last | | | | type of bone cancer continually rise as a person gets |
| couple of years, according to the American Cancer | | | | older and men and women are at equal risk of |
| Society (ACS). | | | | developing this disease. |
| Preventing any type of cancer can be accomplished | | | | Bone cancer protection is difficult to define mainly |
| through a healthy diet and healthy habits, but there is | | | | because there is no scientific method used to |
| the chance none of these will help. Genetics could be | | | | prevent it. There are risk factors associated with |
| the case for patients suffering from bone cancer | | | | bone cancer such as having a previous disease or |
| because doctors are unsure as to what really causes | | | | receiving treatment for a specific disease, like |
| this disease. | | | | radiation therapy. |
| According to the ACS, there will only be a little over | | | | Age can also play a role in who develops bone |
| two thousand cases of bone cancer in the United | | | | cancer. Because it is hard to practice cancer control |
| States for 2007. Of that number, only a thousand will | | | | when it comes to the human bone structure, |
| actually die from the disease. Bone cancer can begin | | | | everyone is at risk for developing this disease at |
| in the bone, but most often the cancer started in | | | | some point in their life. |
| another organ and spread. | | | | The most common diagnosis for bone cancer is pain. |
| In this instance, the cancer cells were malignant and | | | | As the tumor grows, the pain worsens for the |
| filtered easily to other parts of the body. In these | | | | individual. Detecting the pain is the first part of bone |
| situations, patients end up receiving the same type | | | | cancer control. The next important step is detecting |
| of therapy as was used for the original cancer | | | | it. This can be done through x-rays, CT scans, MRI |
| because the cells are the same. | | | | scans, bone scans or PET scans. |
| Bone tumors get their name according to the region | | | | Once the cancer is found and defined, a patient |
| of the bone the cells are infecting. Bone tumors can | | | | needs to work on a treatment. Normally treatments |
| be benign or malignant. If a bone tumor is benign, the | | | | for bone cancer are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, |
| patient will not see the cells spread to other parts of | | | | or surgery. It is important when practicing any kind of |
| the body. There are several types of bone tumors, | | | | cancer control that you discuss all your options with a |
| but the two most common forms are osteosarcoma | | | | doctor so you can find the right treatment for your |
| and chondrosarcoma. | | | | body. |
| Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone | | | | Cancer control may be easier when discussing breast |
| cancer found in patients between the ages of ten | | | | and prostate cancer, mainly because the detection |
| and thirty. There is the possibility that individuals | | | | methods are better, more people are quitting |
| between the ages of sixty and seventy will develop | | | | smoking and treatment methods are more advanced. |
| osteosarcoma, but rarely does one see this cancer in | | | | Researchers are constantly working on ways to |
| someone who is between the ages of thirty and | | | | prevent and treat bone cancer. As more discoveries |
| sixty. | | | | are made, hopefully the numbers will decline too as |
| Males are also more susceptible to this common form | | | | they did for other cancers. |
| of bone cancer than women. Chondrosarcoma | | | | |