Cancerous tumors need stronger treatment and care from a number of specialists. Your treatment will depend on several things including how far it’s spread, which experts use to determine its stage. Cancer cells that are only in the bone tumor and the surrounding area are at a “localized” stage. Those that spread to or from other areas of your body are more serious and harder to treat.
Treatment for bone cancer often involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The specific treatment approach will depend on the type and stage of the cancer, as well as the person’s overall health and preferences.
Surgery
The goal of surgery is to remove the entire cancerous tumor. In most cases, this involves special techniques to remove the tumor in one single piece, along with a small portion of healthy tissue that surrounds it (Limb salvage surgery). The surgeon replaces the lost bone with some bone from another area of your body, with material from a bone bank or with a replacement made of metal and hard plastic.
Bone cancers that are very large or located in a complicated point on the bone may require surgery to remove all or part of a limb (amputation). As other treatments have been developed, amputation is becoming less common. If amputation is needed, you’ll likely be fitted with an artificial limb and go through training to learn to do everyday tasks using your new limb.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses strong anti-cancer drugs, usually delivered through a vein (intravenously), to kill cancer cells. However, this type of treatment works better for some forms of bone cancer than for others. For example, chemotherapy is generally not very effective for chondrosarcoma, but it’s an important part of treatment for osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-powered beams of energy, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a special machine moves around you and aims the energy beams at precise points on your body.
Radiation therapy is often used before an operation because it can shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove. This, in turn, can help reduce the likelihood that amputation will be necessary.
Radiation therapy may also be used in people with bone cancer that can’t be removed with surgery. After surgery, radiation therapy may be used to kill any cancer cells that may be left behind. For people with advanced bone cancer, radiation therapy may help control signs and symptoms, such as pain.
Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is another treatment possibility. This treatment involves killing cancer cells by freezing them with liquid nitrogen. A hollow tube is inserted into the tumor, and liquid nitrogen or argon gas is pumped in. In some cases, cryosurgery can be used to treat bone tumors instead of regular surgery.
Other treatments
Other treatments, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, may be used in some cases. These treatments work by targeting specific abnormalities in cancer cells or by boosting the body’s immune system to attack the cancer cells.
It’s important to work with a team of cancer specialists to determine the best treatment approach for your specific situation. Different bone cancers respond to different treatments, and your doctors can help guide you in what is best for your cancer.