Cancer consists of over 100 diseases characterized by abnormal blood cells.
The basic process for cell regeneration is immature blood cells develop into
mature blood cells, divide, and die off after their appointed number of days.
As long as this process runs smoothly, there is a clean bill of health.
Cancer arises when these healthy cells mutate and reproduce in a disorderly
manner. As they reproduce and spread, their abnormalities are passed on to the
generation that sprouts from them and the abnormal cells will crowd out the
healthy ones by living longer than they should. Often the abnormal cells do not
mature, therefore the function they should be providing does not take place.
For instance, without the proper number of mature white blood cells (WHCs)
the immune system is unable to perform properly and the person becomes
susceptible to infection and illness.
When the mutated cells begin reproducing rapidly and without any order, they
form too much tissue. The extra tissue builds up and forms what is known as a tumor.
A tumor in itself does not constitute cancer as they can be benign
(non-cancerous) as well as malignant (cancerous).
Benign tumors are rarely a threat to life and do not spread to other parts
of the body. Benign tumors that come from bone cells are called osteomas.
Malignant tumors can invade nearby healthy organs as well as travel through the
body via the bloodstream and locate another place to grow. This spreading out
is called metastasis.
Bone Cancer
Cancers that begin in the bone are rather rare, but it is not uncommon for
cancer to start somewhere else and metastasize to the bone. This is
known as secondary (or metastatic) bone cancer, but will
be labeled and treated as the cancer type of its origin.
Cancer that starts off in the bone is known as primary bone cancer. Bone
cancer can begin in any bone, but is found most often in arms and legs. The
most common types of primary bone cancer are chondrosarcomas, osteosarcomas,
and the Ewing’s family of tumors.