Prognosis for bone cancer depends on various factors, including cancer stage, location, origin, medical history, and overall health. Five-year survival rates range from 67-73%, with primary bone cancer having a better prognosis than secondary bone cancer. Other health issues may worsen the prognosis, but advances in radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery offer hope for patients. Patients should discuss individual treatments and success rates with their doctors.
The prognosis for bone cancer varies greatly from patient to patient. Doctors, oncologists, and other health care professionals consider many factors when developing a prognosis for a bone cancer patient. They need to consider what stage of bone cancer the patient has, exactly where in the body the cancer is located, whether the cancer originated in the bone or elsewhere in the body, and the patient’s medical history and overall health. A good prognosis means that the doctor thinks the patient will respond well to treatment, and a poor prognosis for bone cancer means that many common treatment methods are likely to fail.
Looking at overall survival rates five years after diagnosis also helps doctors determine a prognosis for patients with bone cancer. Five-year survival rates for bone cancer range from about 67-73 percent. Caucasian men have the lowest survival rates and Caucasian women have the highest. These numbers represent a general picture. An individual’s prognosis could be better or worse than the averages.
One of the main things doctors consider when making a prognosis for bone cancer is the stage of the cancer. Bone cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes or has further metastasized throughout the body is more difficult to treat. Cancer that is diagnosed when it is still entirely within the bone has a better prognosis, with an overall five-year survival rate of about 85%.
Primary bone cancer originates in the bones and is often easier to treat if caught early. Secondary bone cancer is cancer that spreads to the bones from elsewhere in the body. If this happens after the original cancer has gone into remission, it may respond well to treatment. Treating secondary bone cancer while being treated for cancer elsewhere in the body can be particularly difficult, and the prognosis may be less good, depending on how severe the primary cancer is, where it is found, and how it has responded to treatment.
A patent who has other health issues or problems may have a less favorable prognosis than a bone cancer patient who is otherwise healthy. Other medical conditions and medications may interact with your cancer treatment and produce or worsen side effects or reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. Bone cancer patients should report any medical problems to their doctors to receive the most accurate information and best treatment possible.
Research continued to be conducted on bone cancer and treatment methods. Researchers and medical professionals have made advances in the areas of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, making them more useful and less likely to cause serious side effects. New surgical techniques to help bone cancer patients maintain limb and physical function are being developed on a constant basis. These techniques often reduce amputation rates and lead to a more favorable prognosis for many patients. The prognosis for bone cancer is based on so many individual factors that patients who have been diagnosed with this disease should have extensive talks with their doctors about their individual treatments and the likelihood of those treatments being successful.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
