How Long Can a Person Live With Bone Cancer?

Secondary bone cancer accounts for a significant proportion of all forms of cancer found in people today. It is becoming increasingly prevalent in the society mostly because most of the signs and symptoms of the disease are misconstrued and misinterpreted with other health conditions. Instead of getting a medical check-up done the disease is left untreated, causing it  to aggravates to a stage in which it cannot be treated any more. Therefore it is best to have a diagnosis done and get the cancer treated in the early stages.

Once the cancer enters the secondary stages, the usual survival rate is 5 years. The rate of survival in bone cancer depends on a lot of factors and therefore, is a matter of intense debate. This is because at the end of the five years, the patient may get cured or survive by undergoing chemotherapy sessions after the surgery. If the cancerous cells affect many parts of the body, chances of death due to cancer are more, and the patient could die within the five year average survival rate.

Bone cancer develops from the abnormal growth of cells that combine together to form a tumour, which are benign or malignant. While benign tumours do not come out of the bone tissue, malignant tumours can and have the ability to destroy the entire bone cortex. There are different types of bone cancers such as Osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, Chondrosarcoma and Chordoma. While the first two types are more commonly seen, the third one affects the bone cartilage and the last one develops in the lower part of the spinal cord.

When it comes to bone cancer, there are a number of factors on which the survival rate depends:

• The patient’s general health – If he/she has had a family history of cancer, the chances of developing Osteosarcoma is more and survival rates could be bleak.
• The size, type and the location of the bone cancer – If the cancer has entered the secondary stages, the survival rates could effectively decrease.
• The duration of symptoms – If you have been experiencing the symptoms for some time, it is always best to get it diagnosed.
• Age of the patient and blood results – Higher the age, lower the survival rate.
• Stage of the bone cancer – If the cancer has already metastasized, the survival chances are very low.

Bone cancer in its primary stages is contained inside the bone tissue, but can weaken the tissues surrounding it. When it enters into the secondary stage, the cancer cells come out of the tissue and affect nearby tissues. Metastasis occurs in the later stages when the cells affect organs such as the lungs and the lymph nodes.

Read more articles on Bone Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis