What exactly is osteosarcoma

Everyone is afraid of osteosarcoma, which seriously harms our body and even leads to loss of life. However, many people do not know much about osteosarcoma and do not realize its harm, which delays the best treatment time. Therefore, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of osteosarcoma. Now let us learn about what osteosarcoma is!

(I) Concept of osteosarcoma:

Osteosarcoma refers to a highly malignant tumor originating in the bone marrow. Its characteristic is that the proliferating tumor cells directly form bone or bone-like tissue, so it is also called osteosarcoma. In the 4th edition of the WHO Classification of Tumors of Bone and Soft Tissue published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2013, osteosarcoma is defined as 8 subtypes, namely common osteosarcoma, low-grade central osteosarcoma, telangiectatic osteosarcoma, small cell osteosarcoma, secondary osteosarcoma, parosteal osteosarcoma, periosteal osteosarcoma, and high-grade surface osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of bone. 75% of cases occur between the ages of 10 and 30. It is more common in men, with a male-to-female ratio of about 1.5 to 2:1. The most common sites are the distal femur and proximal tibia, followed by the proximal humerus (the incidence of these three sites is 4:2:1). The course of osteosarcoma is short and the progression is fast, and local skipping lesions may occur. Osteosarcoma most often metastasizes to the lungs via the bloodstream. Secondary and advanced osteosarcomas can metastasize to the bones, and when bone metastases occur, lung metastases have often already occurred.

(II) Symptoms of osteosarcoma:

1. Pain

Pain of varying degrees at the tumor site is a very common and obvious symptom of osteosarcoma, caused by the expansion of the tumor tissue destroying the bone cortex and stimulating the periosteal nerve endings. The degree of pain can be mild or severe, and can develop from intermittent in the early stage to continuous after a few weeks, and gradually worsen. The pain may exist at rest or at night and is unrelated to activity. Lower limb pain may also cause limp

2. Lump

As the disease progresses, local swelling may occur, and a lump may be felt at the painful part of the limb, accompanied by obvious tenderness. If the lump grows rapidly, the lump can be found from the appearance. The skin temperature on the surface of the lump increases and the superficial veins are exposed. The surface of the lump and the nearby soft tissue may have varying degrees of tenderness. The hardness of the lump varies due to different degrees of ossification. As the lump grows, it causes limited joint movement and muscle atrophy.

3. Others

When osteosarcoma progresses rapidly and bone destruction is obvious, pathological fractures may occur, but they are rare. When the lesion involves the epiphysis, there may be exudation in the joint cavity, which manifests as joint swelling and pain. At the time of diagnosis, the patient's general condition is usually good. When the patient begins to lose weight and anemia, lung metastasis has generally occurred or has begun to metastasize. The time from the first symptom to treatment is generally less than 6 months, and a few patients can take more than 1 year.

The above is an introduction to what osteosarcoma is. I believe everyone knows what osteosarcoma is. If you have symptoms of osteosarcoma, you must go to a regular hospital for examination in time and do not delay the best treatment time. Maintain an optimistic attitude and actively accept treatment.