Osteosarcoma Research Paper

Words: 814
Pages: 4

Osteosarcoma Osteosarcoma is one of the three types of bone cancer. It is not a common cancer, but it is the most common that starts in bones. Bone cancer usually begins in different area of the body, and spreads to the bone. It is common for it to happen in longer bones like the knee and upper arm. Osteosarcomas range from low grade tumors that only require surgery to high grade tumors that require aggressive treatment. The tumor causes pain for the patient. The treatment and recovery can be more complicated than the patient may expect. There are conditions in which osteosarcoma may occur, but there is no set reason. It seems to be related with rapid bone growth. Osteosarcoma usually begins in osteoblasts, that is the type of bone cell that becomes new bone tissue. That explains why growth spurts, or just rapid bone growth would be a factor to the spread of Osteosarcoma. Sometimes DNA mutations can be inherited from a parent, and that can increase the chances of getting the disease. If the patient has had cancer before, it puts them at risk for the disease. Past treatments of cancer may also put the patient at risk for Osteosarcoma. …show more content…
About 800 new cases of Osteosarcoma are diagnosed in the United States, each year. Half of these cases are in children and teens. Only 10% of the Osteosarcomas happen to people over the age of 60. Osteosarcoma is not a common cancer. Only 2% childhood cancers are this kind of cancer, and adults have a smaller percentage. In children, it usually forms in the bones near the knee. For the average patient it commonly grows in the ends of the long bones of the body, such as the arms or legs. It rarely starts in soft tissue or organs in the chest. All of these patients will need treatment for Osteosarcoma, unless the doctor suggests