Orthopaedic oncology

Orthopaedic oncology is the branch of medical science that deals with all aspects of benign and malignant tumours of the bones and soft tissues. This service offers risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of all types of cancerous and non-cancerous diseases of the bone and soft tissue.

A wide range of conditions is treated as part of orthopaedic oncology. Some common conditions include: 

Bone metastases: Bone metastases is a condition that occurs when cancer from other body organs spread from their original site into a bone. Nearly all forms of cancer can spread to bones, however, cancer of the prostate and breasts are more likely to metastasise. This condition can affect any bone of the body, nonetheless, it is most likely to affect bones in the spine, pelvis and thigh.

Sarcomas: Sarcoma is a term used to refer to the cancers that affect the bone and connective tissues. There are more than 70 different types of sarcomas. Common signs and symptoms include abnormal lump that can be seen through the skin, bone pain, weight loss and a broken bone. 

Benign bone tumours: Benign means non-cancerous. Benign bone tumours are abnormal growths that begin in the bones. There are several types of bone tumours that can occur in any bone of your skeletal system. Common tumours include enchondroma, osteochondroma, osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, giant cell tumour, unicameral bone cyst and fibrous dysplasia. 

Cancerous bone tumours – Bone cancer happens when cancerous cells develop in the bone itself and develop into a tumour. Bone cancers are quite rare but can affect any bone of your body. 

Pathologic fractures – Pathologic fractures are bone fractures that occur due to an underlying condition. Certain pathologies tend to weaken your bone to the point that they break. This condition may or may not display any noticeable symptoms, however, when it does, it can cause pain in your arms, back and legs and neurological impairment.

Orthopaedic oncology conditions are treated based on their type, extremity of symptoms, stage of cancer, size of the tumour, patient’s overall health and other factors. Listed below are some common lines of treatment used for the management of orthopaedic oncology. 

Chemotherapy:  Chemotherapy is the medicinal approach to treating bone and soft tissue tumours. 

Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy is a treatment that uses specific drugs to target and attacks the specific proteins or genes in cancer that help it grow. 

 Hormone therapy: Certain bone and soft tissue cancers can be treated with the use of specific hormones. 

Surgery: Surgical interventions are offered as bone cancer treatment when the tumour can be surgically removed from the body. 

Your multidisciplinary care team will sometimes use a combination of various treatment types to offer you effective treatment types.