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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 07 December 2005 |
Bone Cancer TreatmentMost people with primary bone cancer will need a combination of different treatments. The treatments that are used are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The treatment you have will depend on your age, general health, and the stage and type of the bone cancer.
Surgery is a very important part of treatment and is used to remove the tumour in the bone. If surgery is not possible then radiotherapy, which is particularly effective in Ewing’s sarcoma, may be used instead.
Chemotherapy is an important treatment for most people with osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and fibrous histiocytoma. It is often given before surgery and may shrink large tumours enough to avoid amputation. The course of chemotherapy will then continue after surgery.
When radiotherapy is used to treat Ewing’s sarcoma, it is most often given after or instead of surgery. Although radiotherapy is used less often to treat osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, it is still helpful in certain situations.
If you have any questions about your treatment, don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or nurse. It often helps to take a close friend or relative to the consultation with you to help you remember what is said.
Some people find it reassuring to have another medical opinion to help them decide about their treatment. Most doctors will be pleased to refer you to another specialist for a second opinion, if you feel this will be helpful. Many people are frightened at the idea of having cancer treatments, particularly because of the side effects that can occur. Although many of the treatments can cause side effects, knowledge about how these treatments affect people and improved ways of reducing or avoiding many of these problems, have made most of the treatments much easier to cope with. Treatment can be given for different reasons and the potential benefits will vary depending upon the individual situation. In people with bone cancer, treatment is usually done with the aim of curing the cancer. If the cancer is at a more advanced stage the treatment may only be able to control it, leading to an improvement in symptoms and a better quality of life. However, for some people in this situation the treatment will have no effect upon the cancer and they will get the side effects without any of the benefit. If you have been offered treatment that aims to cure your cancer, deciding whether to accept the treatment may not be difficult. However, if a cure is not possible and the treatment is being given to control the cancer for a period of time, it may be more difficult to decide whether to go ahead. Making decisions about treatment in these circumstances is always difficult, and you may need to discuss it in detail with your doctor. If you choose not to have treatment, you can still be given supportive (palliative) care, with medicines to control any symptoms.
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