Bone Cancer

Detection/ Diagnosis

 
To help diagnose bone cancer, doctors will ask about symptoms and family medical history. Then doctors will perform a physical exam and may order diagnostic tests.

Tests may include the following:

·         X- rays- a uses of radiation to take picture of structures inside the body, especially bones.  

·         Blood test - to check the level of the the enzyme alkaline phosphatase.

·         A Bone scan- looks for evidence of bone tumors; a radioactive substance injected into the bloodstream that absorbed by bone tissue, and then tracked by the bone scan.

·         Computed tomography(CT) scan- is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles, that are created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine.

·         Biopsy - removal of a sample of tissue
                 needle biopsy - doctor uses a small needle to remove small pieces of tissue from the tumor
                 surgical biopsy - doctor makes an incision through your skin and removes either the entire tumor
                                              (excisional) or a portion of the tumor (incisional)
              

·         An angiogram- is an x-ray of blood vessels.

·         Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan- is a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body without using xray.