Bone Cancer Treatment in India - Causes & Symptoms

The term “orthopedic” refers to the treatment of the musculoskeletal system of the body and the term “oncology” refers to the branch of medicine specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Hence, the term “orthopedic oncology” refers to a specialized branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of the cancers and tumors of the body’s musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system includes the bones, cartilage, muscles, soft tissues, nerve tissues, arteries, and fibrous tissues. The surgeons who are experts in orthopedic oncology are specialists in treating the cancerous as well as non-cancerous tumors that form in the musculoskeletal system including the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Orthopedic oncologists treat several types of cancers including primary bone tumor/cancer, secondary bone tumor/cancer, sarcomas of the soft tissues, and any other medical conditions related to the bones. Osteogenic sarcoma is a very rare condition and is more common in children and adolescents as compared to adults.

There are no proper treatment options available in low socioeconomic countries due to which they don’t receive timely treatment and they decide to Travel to India seeking early diagnosis and treatment. India has several latest technologies and innovative treatment approaches that help in providing the most successful treatment without any complications. It also cuts down the recovery time and helps the patient heal faster. The overall medical and therapeutic experience of most of the international patients has been amazing. If you are the one thinking of visiting India for bone tumor treatment, then you can read further to know more about osteogenic sarcoma treatment in India.

Types of Bone Cancer

The bone tumor can be either primary (cancer that starts in the bones) or secondary (cancer that starts in other body organs such as the lungs, breast, etc., and spreads to the bones). There are several types of bone cancer. However, some of the common primary bone tumors/cancer are:

1. Osteosarcoma bone cancer:

Osteosarcoma bone cancer also known as osteogenic sarcoma is the most common type of cancer of the bones that arises in the legs, pelvis, and arms. It mostly affects he people between the age of 10 to 30.

2. Chondrosarcoma:

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common type of bone tumor that starts in the cartilage cells. The chances of people developing chondrosarcoma increases as they age. It basically starts from the cartilage of pelvis, arms, and legs, but it can also start anywhere in the body.

3. Ewing’s sarcoma:

Ewing’s sarcoma also known as Ewing’s tumors, usually starts in the bones but it can also develop in the muscles and other tissues. It is the third most common type of bone tumor and it mostly affects children and adolescents.

4. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma and fibrosarcoma:

It is a cancer that starts in the soft tissues surrounding the bones such as the ligaments, tendons, muscles, or even fat tissue. It mostly affects adults and usually starts from the jaw, arms, and legs.

5. Glial cell tumors:

These can either be benign or malignant and it develops in the bones of arms and legs. It mostly affects young and young adults.

6. Chordoma:

It is the cancer that starts in the bones of the spine and it mostly affects adults and is common in people over 30 years of age.

Bone Cancer Causes

The exact causes of Sarcomas have not been yet identified by scientists. However, mutations in the DNA of the cell are the leading cause of many kinds of tumors or cancer present worldwide. There are many factors that can lead to the mutation in the cells of the bones. The common osteosarcoma causes are:

• Having a bone disorder Paget's disease, fibrous dysplasia, Kaposi’s sarcoma, etc.
• Heredity: If you have a family history of bone tumor, then there are chances that you have inherited the genes which are responsible for causing cancer.
• Prolonged exposure to harmful radiation.
• Previous history of cancer such as breast cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, etc.
• Age: as you age, the risk of developing cancer increases.
• Obesity: Obese people with denser bones and soft tissues are more at risks
• Exposure to certain chemicals, including vinyl chloride, dioxins, pesticides, and phenoxyacetic herbicides.

Bone Cancer Symptoms

People suffering from the early stages of bone tissue cancer and soft tissue sarcomas often have no symptoms. However, as the tumor begins to grow, more symptoms start springing up. These include:

• Pain: Extreme pain can be experienced in the general area as the tumor grows and causes swelling in the surrounding soft tissues.
• Inflammation: The tumor grows bigger in size causing inflammation and swelling to the area.
• Swelling in the joint which causes stiffness and tenderness due to which the patient has a limited range of movement.
• Some of the other common bone tumor symptoms include feeling unwell, fever, anemia, unexplained weight loss, fracture, and fatigue.

Top Recommended Bone Cancer Doctors in India

1. Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas

Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas is a renowned oncologist in Delhi who has been working in this field for more than 20 years. He has expertise in robotic scarless head and neck surgery, robotic esophagal cancer surgery, lung cancer, pancreatic, and colorectal surgery. Dr. Dabas is one of the highly skilled esophageal cancer surgeons in Delhi.

2. Dr. Vinay Samuel Gaikwad

Dr. Vinay Samuel Gaikwad is a dynamic and extensively trained cancer surgeon. He has a rich clinical experience of more than two decades and has previously been associated with some of the top hospitals in India.

3. Dr. Ajay Gupta

Dr. Ajay Gupta is the best haematologist in Apollo Hospital Delhi (Indraprastha branch). He is one of the most talented hematologists in Delhi NCR. Dr. Gupta treats health problems associated with oncology and hematology, such as cancer, bone marrow disease, Hodgkin's disease, Malignant tumours, Sickle-cell anaemia, leukemia, and other related health problems.

4. Dr. Kumardeep Dutta Choudhary

Dr. Kumardeep Dutta Choudhary is a renowned cancer specialist in Delhi NCR, India. He is now associated with Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute and Action Cancer Hospital in Delhi. He has a wide experience of 27 years in Medical Oncology and worked as an expert Medical Oncologist in different cities in India.

Cost of Bone Cancer Treatment in India

The total cost of osteosarcoma bone cancer in India is influenced by many factors such as the stage of cancer you have, the type of treatment planned, chosen hospital, oncologist’s fees, medication cost, insurance coverage, diagnostic tests cost, travel cost, etc. Hence, the total cost can vary from person to person. However, you can consider the average cost to fall between 5,000 USD to 50,000 USD and you can consider 20,000 USD as the average cost of bone cancer treatment. Listed below are the average costs of different treatments for bone tumors/cancer.

Treatment Approaches for Musculoskeletal Cancer in India

The most common forms of cancer treatment in India are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, etc. Chemotherapy and targeted therapy are drug-mediated treatments in which the medicines are given to the patients. These medicines will target the cancerous cells only and destroy them. Whereas radiotherapy is the use of radiation to destroy the cancer cells.

In case a patient has a low grade of bone tissue cancer, then medication therapy like chemotherapy targeted therapy or radiation therapy (also known as radiotherapy) is used for the treatment, but if the patient has large tumors or osteogenic sarcoma of the limbs, then chemotherapy is given first and then the surgery is done to remove the tumor and at the same time save the limb. This is known as Limb Salvage Surgery.

Conclusion

The Orthopedic Oncology Department of Indian Healthcare Services has the finest and most reputed healthcare professionals who are highly trained and experienced specialists aiming to provide the right and best treatment. The Indian healthcare system has invested in a lot of advanced technologies that are very helpful in providing the best and most successful treatment procedures while keeping the cost of these treatments highly affordable so that all the people in need can get access to these treatments. The success rates of bone cancer treatment in India are extremely high and the complications post-treatment are extremely low.

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