How To Know If You Have Bone Cancer?

bone cancerThere are two kinds of bone cancer. These are primary and secondary.

Cancer that starts in the bone or the tissue around the bone is primary cancer.

Secondary cancer is a type of cancer that starts somewhere else in your body and moves into your bones.

The most common kind of cancer to go into the bones is breast cancer. Prostate and lung cancer come in second and third. Cancer is something that nobody wants to have.

It is becoming more and more prevalent in all ages and races. It is a hard thing to have to deal with, but if you think you have this kind of cancer then early detection will be crucial for your health.

First Symptoms

If you are experiencing pain that is unusual to you and lasts a very long time in your joints or different areas of your body, such as your back, then you might need to have a checkup for bone cancer.

Sometimes when you have this kind of pain, you will think it is only arthritis. Your bone that is affected by the cancer may break for no apparent reason. There are many ways to detect if you have bone cancer.

X-ray and Bone Scan

When your physician suspects that you have bone cancer, they will want to x-ray the affected area. This is the first step in knowing whether you have bone cancer or not.

Bone cancer will look like dark holes in your bones on an x-ray. It will be easy to see if your bone is deteriorating because of the cancer.

Your physician may ask you to take another test that can confirm the cancer diagnosis better. He or she may want you to have a bone scan.

For this test, they will put radioactive particles into your vein, which go through your body and attach themselves to your bones. If a high concentration of particles develops in an area, this may signify cancer cells.

Blood Work

Since you will want to know as soon as possible whether you test positive for bone cancer, taking a blood test is a good thing to have. An enzyme known as “bone specific alkaline phosphatase” or (BSAP) will increase in your blood test if you have bone cancer.

This blood test works best for you if you are at a risk for bone cancer. It is not a foolproof test because BSAP can elevate because of other conditions. Since it is not foolproof, you will want to get x-rays also.

Biopsy

To diagnose for bone cancer your physician may refer you to a surgeon to have a biopsy. Your surgeon will put a small hole into your bone and remove a tissue sample out of the tumor.

Tissue from the biopsy will go under a microscope to determine if it is cancer or not. You will want your biopsy done by a specialist called an orthopedic oncologist.

These tests for bone cancer will help you to have a fighting chance at getting your life back to normal.