Early Symptoms of Bone Cancer
Jul 07, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Xu Ge
Introduction
Swelling or mass: A hard, palpable mass may appear on the bone surface in the early stage, often accompanied by pain.
Pathological fractures: One or more pathological fractures may occur early in the disease course.
Compression symptoms: When the tumor develops within the cranial cavity or nasal cavity, it can compress brain and nasal tissues, leading to respiratory difficulty and increased intracranial pressure. Pelvic tumors may compress the rectum and bladder, causing difficulties in defecation and urination.
Bone cancer is a malignant bone tumor, encompassing both primary and secondary malignant bone tumors. Early-stage bone cancer may present with the following five symptoms:
1. Swelling or mass: A hard, palpable mass may appear on the bone surface early on, often accompanied by pain.
2. Pathological fracture: One or more pathological fractures may occur early in the disease course. Following fracture healing, evaluation for osteoporosis or osteosarcoma should be performed to assess the risk of bone cancer.
3. Compression symptoms: Early in the disease, compression of nerves and blood vessels by the bone tumor may cause numbness in the distal limbs. When the tumor develops within the cranial or nasal cavities, it can compress brain or nasal tissues, leading to respiratory difficulty and increased intracranial pressure. Pelvic tumors may compress the rectum and bladder, resulting in difficulties with defecation and urination.
4. Bone pain: Early bone and joint pain is typically a persistent dull ache or pressure-induced pain, often worsening at night; it is not related to physical activity or movement.
5. Skeletal deformity: If cancer cells infiltrate bone tissue, normal skeletal development may be impaired, significantly compromising bone strength and leading to deformities—particularly noticeable in the lower limbs, such as genu valgum (knock-knee) or genu varum (bowleg).
