How does the doctor know it's an Osteosarcoma?
Pain in the bone is the most common symptom. Swelling in the same area is another symptom. These symptoms might wax and wane at first, but after a while they might not go away or might get worse with time. Of course, pain and swelling can have other causes as well.
The doctor will ask questions about the symptoms and do a physical exam.
If the doctor thinks it might be a bone tumor, they may send you (or your child) to an orthopedic oncologist. This is a doctor who treats tumors and cancers in the bones, muscles, and joints.
Tests that may be done
If signs are pointing to a bone tumor such as an osteosarcoma, here are some of the tests that might be done to find out more:
Plain x-ray: This is often the first test done if a doctor suspects a bone tumor.
MRI scan: MRIs can show details about the bone and nearby areas, particularly the vessels, nerves and muscles. This helps the doctor plan for a biopsy and surgery.
CT scan: A CT dcan of the limb will give greater details of the bone structures. A CT scan of the chest may be done to see if cancer has spread to the lungs.
Bone scan: A bone scan can help show if a cancer has spread to other bones in the body. After the lungs, bones are the second commonest organs to be affected by osteosarcoma spread.
PET scan: PET scans use a special kind of sugar that can be seen inside the body with a special camera. If there is cancer, this sugar shows up as “hot spots” where the cancer is found. This test can help show if the cancer has spread, as well as if the cancer is being helped by treatment. PET scans are sometimes done at the same time as a CT scan (known as a PET/CT scan).
How serious is the cancer?
If osteosarcoma has been found, the doctor will want to find out how far it has spread. This is called the stage of the cancer. The tests above are used to help stage the cancer. The doctor will want to find out the stage of the cancer to help decide what type of treatment is best.
The stage describes the growth or spread of the cancer within the bone or into nearby areas. It also tells if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body that are farther away. The lower the stage number, the less the cancer has spread. A higher number means the cancer has spread more. The sathe is important both for prognostication and for treatment planning. Osteosarcoma that is localised (stage 1 or 2) is curable- the chances of cure vary from 60-80 percent in various studies.