Osteosarcoma (pronounced: os-tee-oh-sar-koh-muh) is the most common type of bone cancer. It usually appears in teen guys, often during their growth spurts. Osteosarcoma affects twice as many guys as girls and tends to show up in people who are taller than average. Certain medical problems that may be caused by genes, such as retinoblastoma (pronounced: ret-un-oh-blas-toe-muh), a tumor that develops in the retina of the eye, may predispose some teens to develop osteosarcoma. The same is true if a teen has received bone radiation treatments for other cancers.
The most common symptoms of osteosarcoma are pain and swelling in an arm or leg that is sometimes accompanied by a lump. Some people have more pain at night or when they exercise. Osteosarcoma is most often found in the bones around the knee but can occur in other bones as well. In rare cases, a tumor can spread or metastasize beyond the bone to nerves and blood vessels of the limb. (Metastasize is the word doctors use when cells from a tumor break away from the original cancer site and travel to a different tissue or organ.)
Treatment for osteosarcoma usually involves chemotherapy (intravenous, or IV, medication that kills cancer cells) as well as surgery to remove the tumor. In the rare cases where these procedures can't fight the cancer completely, a doctor may need to amputate (remove) part or all of the limb to fight the cancer. A doctor may perform limb-salvage surgery, where the bone that has cancer is removed and the limb (usually an arm or leg) is saved from amputation by filling the gap with a bone graft or special metal rod.
Losing a limb can be devastating, especially because it can be hard for teens who are already dealing with body changes. Counseling and physical therapy (also called physical rehabilitation) can both be helpful in this situation. Teens who have amputations are usually fitted with a prosthesis (pronounced: prahs-thee-sus), or artificial limb, which can help them adapt. Most teens are able to return to normal activities - even sports.
Most teens develop side effects, such as hair loss, bleeding, infections, and heart or skin problems, from medicines used in chemotherapy treatment for osteosarcoma. Chemotherapy may also increase the person's risk of developing other cancers in the future. The good news is that most teens with osteosarcoma do recover.
source: www.kidshealth.org