Pain, swelling and lump... Is bone tumor growing silently in the body? The doctor answered every question

News Topical, Digital Desk : Whenever we talk about tumors, people usually focus on organs like brain, lungs or stomach, but do you know that tumors can also occur in bones and this problem is now affecting people of all ages?

Whenever someone complains of swelling, pain or lump in the bone, we usually assume it to be a minor injury or fatigue, but have you ever thought that it can also be a sign of a serious disease (Bone Tumor Symptoms)? Yes, we are talking about bone tumors, which can occur at any age and whose timely identification and treatment is very important.

What is bone tumor?

Bone tumor is actually the abnormal growth of bone cells. In this, the cells collect at one place and form a lump or mass. These tumors can be of two types - benign and malignant.

Benign tumors are not life-threatening in most cases and grow slowly. Malignant tumors can spread to other parts of the body and turn into cancer, which needs to be treated in time.

Who can get this tumor?

Bone tumors can occur in people of any age, but their types change with age.

• Benign tumors are more commonly seen in children and adolescents.
• Older people have an increased risk that another cancer (such as breast or prostate) will spread to the bones.
• Apart from this, if a person has been given radiation therapy earlier, or has a genetic nature of cancer in his family, then this risk is also higher in them.

How to identify the symptoms?

Initially, a bone tumor does not give any specific symptoms, but as it grows, some symptoms start appearing:

• lump or swelling in the bone
• mild or persistent pain, especially at night
• Weakening of muscles at the site of the tumor 
• Pathological fracture of a bone without any major injury
• Do not ignore these symptoms. Timely identification can make treatment easier.

How is the investigation done?

The doctor first diagnoses the condition of the tumor with the help of imaging techniques such as X-ray, MRI or CT Scan after a physical examination. After this, a biopsy i.e. a small sample of the tumor is examined to determine whether the tumor is benign or malignant.

Treatment is being done with new technology today

Earlier bone cancer meant cutting off a body part, but now modern medicine has changed the direction of treatment. Yes, today in about 95% of the cases, such surgery is done in which the limb can be saved, which is called Limb Salvage Surgery.

Apart from this,  options like chemotherapy , radiation therapy and in some cases cryotherapy (destroying the tumor by freezing the bone) are also available.

Read More: Why is there a delay in detecting dementia? You can identify it with these 5 early symptoms