Childhood osteosarcoma is a rare cancer, though the 6th most common type of cancer in children aged 14 and under. The disease is the most frequented form of malignant bone cancer.
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.
What Leads to Osteosarcoma
Unfortunately, the causes behind osteosarcoma are not known. Theories exist about environmental triggers such as fluoride in drinking water or exposure to radium.
Osteosarcoma Symptoms and Side Effects
Typically, the most common side effect associated with osteosarcoma is pain, often emanating from the tumor location. Larger tumors, particularly those on the knees, can appear as swelling. In addition, because the affected bone is usually weaker, it's more susceptible to breaking.
The majority of childhood osteosarcoma cases develop around the knees.
Risk Factors Associated with Osteosarcoma
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 is close to twice as common in males than in females.
Exposure to Radiation
People who have undergone radiation treatment for other cancers have a higher risk of developing osteosarcoma.
Additional 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.
Basic Genetics
Childhood osteosarcoma is often more prevalent in children with certain rare cancer syndromes that are inherited - such as retinoblastoma or Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
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 sub-types are high grade, which is a conventional, small cell and high grade surface development of the disease; intermediate, which is periosteal; and low grade, which is parosteal and characterized by low grade intrasseous.
How Osteosarcoma is Treated
Osteosarcoma is occasionally treated with surgery - at which point the afflicted limb or a portion of the afflicted limb is amputated. Usually, the patient or parents of the patient choose to use the same surgeon for both the biopsy and the therapeutic surgery.
Patients or the parents of patients should consult with their surgeon about the best method and how best to remove the cancer while saving as much use of the affected arm or leg 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.
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