Bones help in movement, giving structure to our body and hence are known as the supporting framework of the body.
To understand more about what bone cancer is, knowing more about the structure of the bone would be ideal.
Bone consists of a fibrous tissue called matrix on which calcium salts are laid down, as its outer part. This fibrous tissue is part of the outer membrane of the bone- the Periosteum.
Inside hollow bones, there is a soft tissue known as bone marrow. The bone marrow is found in a space called the Medullary cavity. The bone marrow can be either a fatty tissue only or a mixture of fat cells as well as blood generating cells. These blood generating cells in the bone marrow are responsible for the production of Erythrocytes, Leukocytes and Platelets, which are important components of blood.
At the two ends of a bone, there is a tissue known as cartilage which is soft but firm, acting as a cushion between bones.
The bone tissue or the osseous tissue contains two different kinds of cells. They are, Osteoblast and Osteoclast which are functionally known as the bone forming cells and cells that dissolve or breakdown bone tissues, respectively.
The term tissue was commonly mentioned in the description of the structure of the bone. A tissue can be defined simply, as a group of cells who have a common function. Therefore, it is obvious that there are many cells forming a bone and any one of these cells mentioned above can develop in to a cancer.
There are several types of bone cancer, such as metastatic cancer (which is a cancer that was spread from somewhere else to the bone), cancers formed in the bone marrow that generates blood cells such as multiple myeloma, leukemia (though it is commonly thought of as a blood cancer) and lymphomas (though it is often found in lymph nodes, there are occasions when it starts in the bone marrow).
A bone tumor that starts in the bone is known as primary bone tumors and they are usually the main type of bone cancers. Though most primary bone tumors lead to bone cancer, not all are cancerous.
Some cancerous primary bone tumors are: Osteosarcoma- (also known as Osteogenic sarcoma) one of the most common primary bone cancers that start in the bone cells
Chondrosarcoma a bone cancer that starts in the cartilage cells (the second most common primary bone cancer).
Ewing tumor (which is a bone cancer starting off either in bones or in other tissues).
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) mostly starting off in soft tissues than in bones
Fibrosarcoma (which is also similar to MFH)
Giant cell tumor of bone (which is less often found as a bone cancer – as it takes the non cancerous form)
Chordoma (a bone cancer that develops in the skull and bones of the spine).
All different types of bone cancers can be treated using, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery.
