Which bone cancer treatment is most successful?

Bone cancer is rare; it accounts for about 0.2% of all malignancies worldwide. In most cases, bone cancer is idiopathic. 

There are multiple subtypes of bone cancer. Osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and Ewing sarcoma are the most common. Every subtype varies in demographics, appearance in imaging, as well as a biological behavior. Most bone cancers are aggressive and hence require an early diagnosis involving imaging & tissue biopsy. 

In bone cancer, several types of tumors grow in bones. There are primary bone tumors formed from bone tissues that can be either malignant or benign. Then there can be metastatic tumors i.e. tumors that develop from cancer cells formed elsewhere in the body and then spread to the bones. 

Benign bone tumors are more common than malignant bone tumors. Benign tumors are rarely a threat. 

Primary bone cancers belong to a broader category of cancers called sarcomas, and they are rare.

Bone cancer treatment success rate

The outlook for bone cancer survival depends on the type of bone cancer and how much it has spread. The overall 5-year survival rate for bone cancers as a whole in adults & children is around 70%.

Can bone cancer be cured?

Cancer that has already spread to the bones cannot be cured. However, with advanced treatments, a cancer specialist can alleviate the pain and other symptoms.

What is the best treatment for bone cancer?

There is no bone cancer treatment that is better than the others. The options depend on the type of bone cancer, the size of the tumor, the location of the tumor, and the stage of cancer. Along with this, the patient’s age and overall health can also be deciding factors in bone cancer treatment. 

The treatment options available are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, cryosurgery, and finally, targeted therapy.

Surgery

Surgery, the most common bone cancer treatment focuses on removing the cancerous tumor along with some of its surrounding bone tissue. 

There is a type of surgery called limb-sparing surgery or limb-salvage surgery. This means the surgery is done without amputating the limb. 

For the patient to use the said limb again, they may need reconstructive surgery. Sometimes the cancer specialist may take a bone from another part of the body as a replacement, and sometimes the patient may be fitted with an artificial bone. In rare cases, the limb is amputated if cancer has spread too much.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy used anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Patients with either newly diagnosed or recurrent Ewing sarcoma and patients with newly diagnosed osteosarcoma are often given chemotherapy. This is done mostly before surgery. Generally, chemotherapy is typically not used to treat chondrosarcoma or chordoma.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy used high-energy x-rays to target & kill cancer cells. Often radiotherapy is used along with surgery. Radiotherapy is also suggested in patients who do not require surgery. 

Radiotherapy is not the only standard treatment for Ewing sarcoma, it is also a part of combination treatments for other types of bone cancer. 

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is often used instead of surgery to remove tumors from bone tissues. In cryotherapy, a cancer specialist targets cancer cells with liquid nitrogen. This process freezes the cancer cells and destroys them. 

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy uses drugs that are specifically designed to interact with precise molecules that help cancer cells to grow. 

For example, denosumab (Xgeva) is a monoclonal antibody that has been approved to treat inoperable giant cell tumors of bone in adults and skeletally mature adolescents.

It’s a wrap

Bone cancer is not very common in India, but just like other cancers, it is also on the rise. If you or your loved ones have been diagnosed with or suspected to have bone cancer, to get the best treatment available, you can and should consult an expert with knowledge of the current treatment options like Dr. Manish Singhal, a respected bone cancer doctor in Noida.

Note

Dr. Manish Singhal is a leading bone cancer doctor in Noida. He and his team have handled multiple cases of different bone cancer subtypes successfully and administered the latest, most suitable treatment to bone cancer patients. The team is knowledgeable & well equipped to manage all types of cancer, including rare bone cancers.