Understanding Benign and Malignant Bone Tumors

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ireti1 K2 years ago6 min read

We aren't new to tumors, and we know that tumors are abnormal cell growth found in the tissues, and organs of the body. Using agricultural words, we could refer to them as weeds on the farm. I remember my teacher in elementary school telling me that weeds are unwanted plants in an unwanted place and that weeds affect the growth of the main plant itself. In this case, we aren't dealing with weed, we are dealing with tumors, and tumors being abnormal growth can lead to serious and severe conditions as well as death. Now that I have established what a tumor is, cancer is regarded as uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. There are multiple types of tumors in the body, and on our journey today, I will be examining the Bone tumor. There was a day, I was having a chat with my younger cousin, and we were discussing cancer. We try to do this regularly as she is about to get into junior school but loves discussing science and everything about it. In the middle of our conversation, I remember we talked about the bone tumor, and she asked me if the bone could have a tumor since it is part of the strongest connective tissues in the body. I told her that the bone is not just the hard part alone, it is made up of components that include bone tissue, cartilage, and marrow. So let's do Bone Tumor.

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As I said, tumors are abnormal cell growth found in tissues, and organs of the body, in the same way, Bone tumors are abnormal growths that develop in the bones. This tumor can be divided into Benign and Malignant tumor. Benign Tumors are an abnormal mass of cells growing slowly and not invasive to the surrounding tissues or organs, and do not spread to other parts of the body. They are not regarded as cancerous tissues and can be removed without any necessary treatment and could also be treated. Malignant Tumors are cancerous cells that grow quickly to invade the surrounding tissues and organs. These tumors can be life-threatening when not treated even though they are hard to treat and could require the use of invasive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Bone tumor accounts for 0.2% of all malignancies in the body, with an incidence rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people in a year. There is a 67.9% rate of survival when a person is diagnosed and treated for bone tumors. In the bone, Benign tumors would include Osteoma, Osteochondroma, Osteoid Osteoma, Chondroma, and Giant Cell Tumor. In the bone, malignant tumors could exist such as Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, and Ewing Sarcoma. I guess most of the tumors have Osteo- as a prefix in them because they have to do with the bone. So let's give a very simple explanation of the different tumors one after the other, and I will be starting with the Benign tumor.

Osteochondroma
Osteochondroma could be explained by its name as Osteo means bone, Chon means cartilage, and Oma means Swelling. Osteochondroma is a benign tumor of the bone usually common in young to middle-aged males, within the age of 25 years. It is the most common type of benign tumor which is usually located in the metaphysics and is usually lateral growth covered by a cartilaginous cap.

Osteoma
Osteoma is a benign tumor usually found in the facial bones, or skull, and can also occur in other bony parts of the body. It is common with middle age people. It usually obstructs the Ostium creating sinus pressure, and it can usually be asymptomatic being found during checkups. It's usually associated with Gardner syndrome.

Osteoblastoma
Osteoblastoma is a rare benign condition that affects the vertebrae or spine. It is commonly found in young males around the age of 25 years. The tumor tissue is made up of osteoblasts in its tumor tissue. It does not spread to other parts of the body and treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy.

Osteoid Osteoma
This is a bone tumor that usually affects the cortex of the long bone where there is a dense bony growth in the affected bone region. The growth or nodule is made up of osteoid tissue, which is a type of immature bony tissue. Osteoid Osteoma is common in males around the age of 25 years and patients with Osteoid Osteoma usually experience nighttime bone pain in the region where the tumor is.

Chondroma
Chondromas are a type of benign tumor made up of cartilage cells and are found in the medulla of small bones of the hand and the feet. It can also occur in the upper arm, thigh, collarbone, ribs, pelvis, spine, nasal sinuses, and skull. They usually grow slowly and can cause pain and swelling in some cases.

Giant Cell Tumor
This is a rare but aggressive non-cancerous tumor that develops in the epiphysis of long bones and near joints. It is prominent in the knee, legs, and arms. It is common in young adults between the age of 20 and 40 years of age when the bone growth is complete. The cause is still very unknown. The giant cells that make this tumor arises from the bone marrow causing significant pathological fractures.

Osteosarcoma
This is a malignant tumor made up of bone-forming cells, and it is common in young teenage males it is the most common type of primary bone cancer and it is often located at the metaphysis of long bones beginning with the bone of the legs, knee, upper shoulder, upper arm, and upper part of the body. Risk factors for Osteosarcoma would include Retinoblastoma, Paget disease, radiation, and Levator Ani Syndrome.

Chondrosarcoma

Chondrosarcoma is a rare type of cancer made up of cartilage cells. It usually occurs in the bone but could sometimes occur in the soft tissues near bones. It is usually found in bones that are very close to cartilage such as the bones of the hip, pelvis, and spine. It is common in people over the age of 40 years and more in men than in women. The affected area would include pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the affected limb.

Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the bones and soft tissues around the bone. It is located in the diaphysis of the long bone, commonly found in the pelvis, spine, and lower legs but it can occur in any bone. it is common among teenagers between the age of 10 and 20 years old.

Treatment of Bone Tumors

Treatment of Bone tumors depends on the type of tumors. Remember that the tumor can either be benign or malignant. For Benign tumors, surgical removal can be done, while malignant tumors can be treated using radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.

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