Below is a list of some of the malignant bone tumors that we treat:
Metastatic Bone Disease and Pathological Fractures
Cancer that originates in one area of the body, such as an organ, gland or tissue, and then spreads to bone is called metastatic bone disease (MBD). The most common bones impacted are the spine, pelvis, ribs, skull, upper arm and long bones of your leg. The tumor can completely destroy the bone in a particular area, a process called osteolytic bone destruction. Or a new bone can form in response to the cancer spread, resulting in osteoblastic lesions. Because MBD weakens the affected bones, you can be at risk for fractures. Broken bones caused by MBD are called pathological fractures. If the bone has not yet broken but is so weak that a break is imminent, this is referred to as an impending pathologic fracture.
The most common treatments for MBD include radiation, surgery and medications to control pain and prevent further spread of the disease.
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma is cancer that affects white blood cells called plasma cells. Plasma cells and other white blood cells are part of the immune system. They produce antibodies that assist your body in ridding itself of harmful substances. Each plasma cell responds to one specific substance by producing one kind of antibody. The body has many types of plasma cells and can respond to many types of substances. When cancer occurs, the body overproduces plasma cells, which are abnormal and alike. These abnormal plasma cells are called myeloma cells. Myeloma cells collect in the bone marrow and the outer layer of the bone. Because the cells begin in the blood plasma, myeloma is not a bone cancer, but is cancer that affects bones.
Treatments can include pain control medications, as well as radiation and chemotherapy.
Lymphoma of the bone
Lymphoma of the bone or primary lymphoma of bone (PLB) is cancer that starts in the bone rather than the lymph nodes. It appears in the hollow part of bone that contains bone marrow, the soft, spongy tissue that has many blood vessels. PLP is a rare cancer usually found in the thigh and pelvis. It’s also known as reticulum cell sarcoma, malignant lymphoma of bone or osteolymphoma, and it is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
In most cases, treatment for PLB involves a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.
Chordoma
Chordoma is a rare, malignant, slow-growing tumor that usually occurs along the spine, most often at the base and the tailbone, or at the base of the skull. It can spread to other organs like the lungs. Chordomas form from remnants of the notochord — embryonic tissue that eventually forms the center of spinal disks.
Treatment is often a combination of surgery and radiation.
Chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that develops in cartilage cells—the gristly connective tissue from which most bones develop. It primarily affects the cartilage cells of the thighbone, arm, pelvis or knee, although it can also appear in your ribs. Most often, chondrosarcoma develops from normal cartilage cells, but may also stem from a preexisting benign (noncancerous) bone or cartilage tumor. Some benign conditions that may be present when chondrosarcoma occurs are:
- Enchondromas, a type of benign bone tumor that begins from cartilage and usually affects the hands
- Multiple exostoses (osteochondromas), the presence of multiple osteochondromas (an overgrowth of cartilage and bone near the end of the growth plate)
- Ollier disease, a cluster of enchondromas
- Maffucci syndrome, a combination of multiple enchondromas and angiomas (benign tumors made up of blood vessels)
Treatment of chondrosarcoma can include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Most often found in pediatric patients:
Ewing sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is cancer that occurs primarily in the bone or soft tissue, most often in children between the ages of 10 and 20. It usually develops during puberty when bones are growing rapidly. Although Ewing's sarcoma can develop in any bone, it usually affects the thigh, shin and upper arm bones. The pelvis bones are also often affected. Ewing sarcoma cells can also metastasize (spread) to other areas of the body, including the bone marrow, lungs, kidneys, heart, adrenal glands and other soft tissues.
Treatment can include surgery and chemotherapy.
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma, also called osteogenic sarcoma, is the most common type of bone cancer in children, teens and young adults. The cancer cells in these tumors look like early forms of bone cells that normally help make new bone tissue, but the bone tissue in an osteosarcoma isn’t as strong as that in normal bones. It most commonly occurs in the bones around the knee, but other sites include the thighbone, lower leg, upper arm bone, pelvis, shoulder and skull. Osteosarcoma may grow into nearby tissues, such as tendons or muscles. They can also occur in the presence of certain rare, inherited disorders, such as:
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a predisposition to multiple types of cancers (such as soft tissue sarcomas, breast cancer, brain tumors, osteosarcoma and others) caused by a mutation in the p53 tumor-suppressor gene that normally curbs cancer
- Rothmund-Thompson syndrome, a syndrome that includes skeletal problems, rashes, short stature and an increased risk of developing osteosarcoma caused by an abnormality in the REQL4 gene
- Hereditary retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye that usually happens in children younger than 4 years old.
Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.