Osteosarcoma

Moriah Tisza

Dr. Quiray

A&P 1

February 20, 2017

Osteosarcoma

        Osteosarcoma is cancer of the bone. It can feel like mild growing pains or just a dull constant pain. Bone cancer or Osteosarcoma is when the bone has a tumor or mass growing on it that is malignant, meaning it is cancerous and growing aggressively. The malignant tumor will break down the healthy bone tissue causing the bone to become very weak and fragile. There are two ways to categorize bone cancer, primary bone cancer is when the cancer originates in the bone and secondary bone cancer is when the cancer metastasizes to the bone from another site in the body. There is no specific cause of bone cancer. The cancer spreads throughout the osteoblasts (which form new bone), osteocytes (which maintain bone) and osteoclasts (which break down bone).  Typically bone Osteosarcoma will form in the long bones of the arms and legs causing pain. There are three specific types of bone cancer, the first being osteosarcoma which is of the osteoid tissue in the bone, second is chondrosarcoma which is of the cartilage, and lastly there is the Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors (ESFTs) which usually arises in bones but can also show in soft tissues such as muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels and other supporting tissues. Speaking specifically about osteosarcoma, its usual cause, although is unknown, can be from anti-cancer drugs or radiation therapy. Primary bone cancer is a very rare occurrence, it only accounts for one percent of all cancers. Osteosarcoma is often found in children ages 10-19, but can be found in adults. We use x-rays, CT scans, bone scans, angiograms, and even PET scans to diagnose bone cancer. The treatment is usually surgery but  can also be radiation therapy or chemotherapy.