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Osteosarcoma is the primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. It is also known to be the most common type of bone cancer. Osteosarcoma normally occurs in the metaphyseal region of long bones. The spine, skull, and the ribs are the areas that osteosarcoma is less common to occur. In unusual situations, Osteosarcoma can develop in other parts of the body. The cancer spreads to other organs by means of the blood or clear watery liquid, which is called the lymph system. Other body parts consist of the lungs, liver, pelvis, shoulder muscles, and tendons. All those areas are considered to be secondary cancer.

Overall, Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor that is composed of osseous tissue. The classification of Osteosarcoma is determined by x-rays and by analyzing the study of structures of tissues. Although, the causes of Osteosarcoma is not known yet, based on the symptoms, it is likely that the cancer is present. In the following paragraphs the topics that have been researched are: symptoms, causes, treatments, and statistics for Osteosarcoma.

There are very few but painful symptoms of Osteosarcoma, which according to kidshealth.org are: “Persistent pain and swelling in an arm or a leg; especially near the knee or shoulder”. This pain normally occurs in longer bones. This pain can be so severe that it will awaken a child out of their sleep and may cause them to have an unexplained limp as per stjudes.org. Other symptoms are bones that are easily fractured. According to stjudes.org if a tumor is present the bone becomes very easy to fracture. This is because the tumor weakens the bone. Although this occurs the causes of Osteosarcoma is unknown,

Doctors believe that the cause of Osteosarcoma appears to be genetic. According to wikipedia.org “questions still remain about whether radium, or fluoride, in drinking can act as environmental triggers for increasing the incidence of the disease”. It is also apparent that “persons who already have cancer or multiple cancers present with Osteosarcoma. Those who have a strong family history of cancer which is called Familial cancer syndrome also are prone to having Osteosarcoma” as mention in stjude.org.

More important, “it is clear that alterations in tumor suppressor genes and oncogene are necessary to produce Osteosarcoma tumors, in most patients it is not clear which of these events occurs first, why it occurs or how it occurs” as per stjude.org.

Treatment options for Osteosarcoma are limited to surgery, chemotherapy, and limb salvage and radiation therapy. Majority of the Osteosarcoma