Bone and soft tissue cancer encompasses a large group of malignant oncological pathologies. Primary bone cancer develops in the form of sarcoma. Sarcoma is a type of malignant tumor that arises from soft tissues.
These structures include:
- Fat
- Bone
- Muscle
- Blood vessels
- Nerves
- Ligaments and tendons
- Synovial tissues that surround the joint.
The peculiarity of sarcoma, as a soft tissue tumor, is that it is not tied to a specific organ. Given that soft tissues are present in any part of the body, sarcoma can arise anywhere.
Causes
Any structure in the human body consists of cells. The life cycle of any cell includes the property of growth, formation of new cells, and death. Growth and division are controlled by the body itself, based on its needs. When cell division goes out of control, abnormal units with altered functions are formed. Thus, a tumor is formed. A malignant tumor is always referred to as cancerous.
Malignant tumors are more dangerous than benign ones due to their ability to metastasize. This means that abnormal cells can enter other organs or parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
Thus, bone and soft tissue cancer can arise either as a result of uncontrolled division of the bone tissue itself (primary) or as a result of metastasis from other organs and invasion from adjacent structures (secondary).
Diagnosis of Bone and Soft Tissue Cancer in Israel
This group of malignant diseases manifests in young people under the age of 30.
First of all, patients report complaints of:
- Pain – constant, not relieved by rest, more pronounced at night. In bone cancer, pain manifests immediately, while soft tissue tumors often proceed asymptomatically.
- Darkening of the skin, visible veins – appears in the late stages of soft tissue cancer.
- Swelling in the area where pain is felt. Initially, it appears as a painless lump.
- Frequent fractures even with light loads.
At the leading clinic in Israel, Ichilov, the patient will undergo a series of progressive diagnostic procedures to verify the diagnosis of bone and soft tissue cancer:
- X-ray
- Scintigraphy
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Computed Tomography
- Positron Emission Tomography
- Biopsy.
In addition to collecting medical history, detailed consultations with leading specialists in orthopedics, oncology, and anesthesiology are conducted at Ichilov.
Treatment of Bone and Soft Tissue Cancer in Israel
Treatment is carried out using 3 methods:
- Surgical intervention. The goal is to remove the malignant tumor along with adjacent tissues if the tumor has spread to them. Nearby lymph nodes are also excised. A part of the affected bone is removed, and a high-strength endoprosthesis is placed in its place. This method of treating bone and soft tissue cancer in Israel is called sparing, as it does not involve complete amputation of the limb;
- Chemotherapy. This involves the individual selection of very strong drugs that can destroy malignant cells that remain after surgical intervention. At Ichilov, chemotherapy is planned in cycles – after taking the drugs for several days, a break of several weeks is taken. Then the cycle is repeated several times (the number of cycles depends on the severity of the tumor);
- Radiation therapy. It is performed for 10-15 minutes 5 days a week for 2-5 weeks. Its goal is the same as that of chemotherapy – to prevent malignant cells from recurring.