Diagnosis
Finding bone cancer early and before the consequences would be ideal. However, it is not always possible. There are currently no specific tests that help us screen patients for bone cancer. Thus, signs and symptoms are particularly important to detect the disease in an early course.
If you have suspicious signs and symptoms of bone cancer, your doctor may need to run a few tests to evaluate your bones. They are imaging tests and blood tests, mainly. However, and depending on your case, the doctor may also require a biopsy. This is a procedure in which he takes a sample of the tumor and takes it to a microscope.
The diagnosis of bone cancer requires a combination of signs and symptoms, a physical exam, and tests. Several diseases could be causing an image or a symptom, but doctors will have a clear view if they consider every aspect of your condition. The most important tests are as follows:
- X-Rays: They will probably be the first imaging tests you will need. Bone cancer is evident in X-rays, primarily when the tumor is fully grown. The affected tissue looks somewhat ragged and not as solid as healthy bone. In some cases, your doctor may point out a hole in the center of the tumor. This imaging test is also useful to evaluate your lungs and whether or not they are taken by the disease.
- CT scan: This imaging test is usually done to stage bone cancer when doctors have already diagnosed the disease. It is useful to evaluate your soft tissues and see whether cancer has spread to other organs, especially the lymph nodes, the liver, and the lungs.
- MRI scan: They are sometimes required to evaluate the spinal cord and the brain. They will also help doctors outline the extent of the bone tumor more accurately.
- Radionuclide bone scans: These tests are helpful to detect small spreads of the primary bone tumor. It shows if cancer is starting to metastasize to another bone. Metastasis areas look like black or gray areas.
- PET scan: This is a very special test that uses a type of sugar with a mildly radioactive atom. Cancer cells take up the radioactive sugar, and a PET scan detects cancer right away due to its fast metabolism. This test can be helpful to differentiate between benign and malignant tumors.
- Biopsy: It is a procedure in which your doctor will take a sample of the affected bone and evaluate the tissue under the microscope. This procedure is also useful when doctors are unsure if bone cancer is a primary bone tumor or metastasis that comes from elsewhere. There are different types of biopsy, such as needle biopsy or surgical biopsies. They are used depending on the type of tumor the patient has.