Bone Cancer when Misdiagnosed can Lead to Amputation of Limb or Death

Bone Cancer

Bone cancer is one of the most mysterious and misunderstood forms of cancer. There are no known causes for bone cancer, but various factors are said to contribute to the condition. Bones that grow fast are a major contributing factor to bone cancer. For this reason, growing teenagers and young adults tend to contract he condition more commonly than the rest of the population. Other commonly known contributing factors include:

· Previous history of retinoblastoma

· Radiation exposure

· History of genetic conditions that affect the bones, such as Li-Fraumeni

· Paget's disease

Types of Bone Cancer

Bone cancer is a rare condition that occurs in any of the following forms:

· Ewing's Sarcoma

This condition commonly occurs in younger people of the age group 10-20 years, and develops in large bones such as thigh, shin or pelvis.

· Osteosarcoma

This is the most commonly occurring form of bone cancer which affects children and young adults of the age group 5-20 years. Similar to Ewing's Sarcoma, Osteosarcoma also develops in larger bones such as thigh and shin.

· Spindle Cell Sarcoma

This form of bone cancer has the same characteristics as osteosarcoma, but develops in adults aged 40 and above.

· Chondrosarcoma

This condition is predominantly found to develop in adults between 40-60 years of age, with characteristics similar to osteosarcoma.

Symptoms of Bone Cancer

Bone cancer's most emphatic symptom is pain in the bone which initially feels tender in the affected region. Movement becomes a challenge as the bones become weak and prone to fractures.

Other symptoms that accompany the condition are:

· Weight loss

· Sweating, commonly during the night

· Elevated temperature

Diagnosing and Treating Bone Cancer

The initial phase of diagnosing bone cancer begins with a thorough physical examination of the affected areas by the physician. A blood test may be required to detect abnormalities in the blood and rule out other potential conditions. An orthopedic specialist will need to conduct further tests and examinations including x-rays, biopsies, MRI and/or, a CT scan.

Once diagnosed with bone cancer, the patient must be referred to a specialist bone cancer treatment center. The first stage of treatment involves chemotherapy that helps shrink the tumor and eradicate other stray cancerous cells that may have started spreading. Depending upon the progress, a section of the affected bone may need to be removed, which can later be reconstructed by limb-sparing surgeries.

If the cancer has advanced and is not contained in a specific area any more, amputation of the limb may become essential. The patient may need to pursue further radiotherapy and chemotherapy following the surgery to ensure that all the cancerous cells have been destroyed.

Seek Legal Support and Easily Find it!

Bone cancer and bone marrow cancer can often be misunderstood for arthritis in older patients and 'growth pains' in young adults and children. A misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis of bone cancer can cost the patient's limb to be amputated, or potentially put his/her life in danger.

If you have suffered due to misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis of bone cancer as a result off medical negligence, contact the New York medical malpractice lawyers for legal assistance. Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff have law offices located in Astoria, Queens, New York City, and two locations in Brooklyn.

Call 212-344-1000if you want outstanding legal representation. You pay nothing until we settle or win the case in court. The first consultation is free. That is right, in essence, you never write us a check at all.