Joint pain at night: Beware of dangerous cancer

Not all bone tumors are malignant. In fact, benign (noncancerous) bone tumors are more common than malignant bone tumors. Both malignant and benign bone tumors can develop from healthy bone tissue, but benign tumors do not spread, do not destroy bone tissue, and are rarely life-threatening.

Malignant tumors that start in bone tissue are called primary bone cancers. Cancer that spreads to bone from other parts of the body, such as the breast, lung, or prostate, is called secondary cancer and is named after the organ or tissue.

Primary bone cancer is common in children aged 1 to 12 years old, accounting for 0.2% of all primary cancers, ranking 6th among all primary cancers in children.

Warning signs of bone cancer

Bone cancer has no clear cause. It is classified as a cancer that is difficult to detect early.

Here are some warning signs of bone cancer:

Painful

Pain in the affected bone is the most common sign of bone cancer. At first, the pain is intermittent. It may be worse at night or with movement, such as leg pain when walking. As the cancer grows, the pain will be there all the time and will get worse with activity.

Swelling

Swelling in the painful area may not occur until several weeks later. You may feel a lump.

Cancer in the neck bones can cause a lump in the back of the throat that leads to difficulty swallowing or breathing.

Fracture

Bone cancer can weaken bones, but most of the time the bone does not break. People who have a fracture next to or through a bone tumor often describe sudden, severe pain in the affected bone for several months.

Other symptoms

Cancer in the bones of the spine can press on nerves, causing numbness and tingling or even weakness.

Cancer can cause weight loss and fatigue. If cancer spreads to internal organs, it can also cause other symptoms. For example, if cancer spreads to the lungs, it can cause difficulty breathing.

These symptoms are often caused by conditions other than cancer, such as injury or arthritis. However, if these problems persist for a long time without a clear cause, you should see your doctor.

Bone cancer treatment

When the tumor is still localized, the patient should cut the bone segment. The doctor needs to consider the impact of the bone tumor on nearby blood vessels and nerves. When cutting the bone segment, it is necessary to avoid damaging the neurovascular bundle.

In addition, chemotherapy is combined. Chemotherapy causes cancer cells to die, and in many cases can destroy up to 80-90% of the tumor. Chemotherapy before surgery reduces the number and inhibits the growth of cancer cells around the tumor, thereby removing the tumor (cutting the bone), protecting healthy tissue, and preserving the limb. Chemotherapy can increase the 5-year survival rate to 50%.

When the tumor invades the soft tissue and spreads, the patient is indicated for amputation. The 5-year survival rate is only about 20%, and patients often die due to lung metastasis.

Bone cancer treatments are very powerful. It is difficult to limit the effects of treatment, not only are cancer cells destroyed but normal cells are also damaged. That is why treatment causes many side effects.

Side effects depend on the treatment method (common after radiation and chemotherapy) and tumor location.

Specifically:

- Susceptible to infection

- Anorexia

- Vomit

- Dry mouth

- Feeling weak, hair loss

- Affects the patient's psychology.

These side effects will go away when treatment is stopped.

According to Dan Tri