What is an osteosarcoma attack like?

What is the onset of osteosarcoma like? Speaking of osteosarcoma, many people may not know much about it. This disease is not uncommon in clinical practice, and the main population of patients is teenagers. The occurrence of osteosarcoma not only brings great pain to the patient himself, but also destroys the happiness of a family. Let's take a look at what the onset of osteosarcoma is like.

The duration of the disease varies from a few days to several years from the onset of symptoms to the time of seeing a doctor, with an average of 3 to 4 months. The most common site is around the knee joint. The earliest clinical symptom is pain, which is usually dull and persistent, and worsens after activity. The pain is more obvious at night. A lump appears in the affected area, and the growth rate of the lump is often measured in months. When the lump increases significantly, reactive effusion may occur in the adjacent joints, and joint movement is limited.

Early pain often occurs suddenly after a minor injury. The swelling is mild at first, then gradually worsens, presenting an eccentric spindle-shaped swelling. The hardness of the lumps varies, depending on the texture of the tumor. Osteolytic lesions are softer than osteoblastic ones. The skin of the affected area is shiny, the surface veins are dilated, and the skin temperature rises. If the tumor is large and adjacent to the joints, it may affect the joint function. Some patients have metastases to other parts of the body when they seek medical treatment.

The size of the tumor may vary depending on the depth of the tumor and the extent of the tumor's invasion of soft tissue. The tumor is accompanied by tenderness, and its hardness varies depending on the amount of bone tissue contained in the tumor. When the tumor is large, blood vessels on the skin surface may become dilated.

The most typical sites of disease are the tubular bones of the limbs, especially the femur, tibia, and humerus. The distal femur, proximal tibia, and proximal humerus are the most common sites. 50% to 75% of osteosarcomas occur near the knee joint. Osteosarcoma in the fibula, hip, mandible, maxilla, and spine is relatively uncommon. Osteosarcoma of the skull, ribs, scapula, clavicle, sternum, ulna, radius, and small bones of the hands and feet is rare.

The time from the onset of symptoms to the onset of hospital visits for osteosarcoma patients is usually within 2 to 4 months. Patients with better differentiation of osteosarcoma cells may come to the hospital later, about half a year after the onset of symptoms. The patient's general condition is good at the time of consultation, but fever, weight loss, anemia and other toxic symptoms may occur in the later stages of the disease.