Bone cancer is a rare condition that occurs due to the abnormal growth of a cancerous tumor within healthy bone tissue. The National Cancer Institute reports that the most common forms of bone cancer include osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, which can cause symptoms such as bone pain or swelling. If you are diagnosed with bone cancer, your doctor may recommend a number of treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Such treatments can cause side effects, which should be discussed with your doctor prior to beginning bone cancer therapy.
Pain
After bone cancer surgery, you can experience painful symptoms at the surgical site. Painful symptoms may be accompanied by redness, inflammation or swelling at the incision site. As your body begins to heal, such symptoms should subside. Painful symptoms experienced during chemotherapy or radiation therapy are more likely a result of the cancer itself rather than a consequence of treatment.
Numbness
During bone cancer surgery, it is possible that you can sustain nerve damage as a result of this procedure. If this occurs, you can experience temporary or permanent sensations of numbness, tingling or prickling at the site of surgery. Symptoms of numbness that develop in the extremities can interfere with your ability to walk or handle small items such as a writing pen normally.
Fatigue
Excessive fatigue is a predominate side effect associated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy, explains the National Cancer Institute. These forms of bone cancer treatment can worsen fatigue symptoms associated with your medical condition.
Hair Loss
Both radiation therapy and chemotherapy bone cancer treatments can cause hair loss (alopecia) to occur in certain patients. Hair loss attributed to radiation therapy typically only occurs at the site of radiation, while chemotherapy treatment can cause hair loss across the body (scalp, eyebrows, eye lashes). Once you have completed bone cancer treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, your hair will begin to grow normally.
Mouth Ulcers
If you choose chemotherapy or radiation therapy to treat your bone cancer, you can develop mouth-related side effects due to these forms of treatment. Some patients develop painful mouth ulcers and infection or find it difficult to swallow normally. Such side effects can contribute to additional problems, including loss of appetite or nausea.
Skin Irritation
Surgical, radiation or chemotherapeutic bone cancer treatment can cause skin-related side effects to develop in some patients. After surgery, you can experience scarring, inflammation or swelling at the site of the incision. Chemotherapy can cause your skin to become itchy or abnormally sensitive to sunlight, according to the Better Health Channel, an informational health website established by the Australian government. Radiation therapy can cause your skin to appear red, dry or flaky and can cause swelling, blistering or itching to occur in some patients.
Stomach Upset
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause stomach upset to occur during treatment for bone cancer. Symptoms of stomach upset include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. Typically, such symptoms subside once cancer treatment has ended.
