Practical Examination Of Osteosarcoma Among Kids
The prospect of facing a cancer diagnosis after agonizing over the recognition of disconcerting symptoms is troubling enough for anyone. But when it’s your own child dealing with similar concerns and the weighty decisions associated with potential cancer treatments, this is harder still. And unfortunately, malignancies among children are not so uncommon.
Childhood osteosarcoma is a form of malignant bone cancer and the 6th most common form of cancer in children under the age of 15. The disease affects over 500 adults and 400 children every year, with a two-thirds survival rate.
Causes of Osteosarcoma
Unfortunately, the causes behind osteosarcoma are not known. Theories exist about environmental triggers such as fluoride in drinking water or exposure to radium.
Symptoms Associated with Osteosarcoma
The first complaint or symptom that most patients experience is pain at the tumor location - typically this discomfort is more severe at night. Large tumors can often look like swelling. Another feature is that the bone affected by the cancer is frequently weaker and more susceptible to fracture.
Over 50% of all cases of childhood osteosarcoma occur around the knee area.
Risk Factors
Age
The risk for developing osteosarcoma peaks during the adolescent growth period. Some researchers think that there may be a correlation between rapid bone growth development and a child’s risk for developing the cancer.
Gender
Osteosarcoma typically occurs in males and is seen twice as frequently as in young women.
Exposure to Radiation
If a patient has been subjected to radiation treatment for other cancers or conditions, they will have a higher risk of contracting the disease.
Other Bone Diseases
Those with other non-cancerous bone diseases, such as Paget’s disease of the bone or a family history of osteosarcoma, have an increased risk of later developing the malignancy, but usually as an adult.
Genetics
Children with inherited and rare cancer syndromes, like retinoblastoma, are more prone to developing childhood osteosarcoma.
Different Types of Osteosarcoma
There are three sub-types of osteosarcoma that can be recognized by how they appear on X-rays and under a microscope. Some of these sub-types have a better prognosis than others.
The three sub-types of osteosarcoma are high-grade, intermediate and low grade. High-grade is a conventional development of the disease characterized by small cell formation. Intermediate grade is periosteal, meaning the membrane around the bones is affected. Low grade is also periosteal, but also includes low grade intrasseous.
Treating Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is sometimes treated with surgery - typically, the biopsy and surgical treatment of the disease are done by the same surgeon. The surgical treatment is either amputation of the affected limb or limb-sparing surgery.
Before deciding on surgery, patients and parents should thoroughly consult with their surgeon about how best to eradicate the disease while also retaining as much of the affected limb as possible.
Despite the prevalence of surgery, most cases of childhood osteosarcoma are treated with chemotherapy in conjunction with surgery. There are a variety of drugs used in osteosarcoma chemotherapy programs, with each dose determined by the individual patient and disease.