He is obviously a very healthy and active child, but in recent months he has noticed that his thighs have become thicker and thicker, and the pain makes it impossible for him to sleep. But he thought it was because he had been active recently and would get better with some rest, so he didn’t care. But after another month, not only did his symptoms not decrease at all, but he had problems walking. This time Ming’s parents panicked and rushed to the hospital for a checkup. The family was shocked by the result: Ming Ming was suffering from a rare malignant tumor – osteosarcoma! 1. What is osteosarcoma? Osteosarcoma is a type of tumor that originates from bone tissue and is highly malignant. The most common age of onset for patients is adolescents aged 10-20. Current research shows that the main cause of the disease is a mutation in the body’s own genes. However, common factors leading to the development of the disease include environmental pollution, trauma, and infection. The incidence of this disease accounts for 1-2% of malignant tumors, and there are about 100-200 children with the disease in our province every year. 2.What are the manifestations of osteosarcoma? The main manifestation of the patient is pain in the limbs, the most common being soreness and swelling in the lower limbs, especially around the knee joint. This is very similar to the growing pain of the bones in adolescents. The main difference between the two is that the former has pain at night, which is not relieved by rest and medication, but gradually worsens. Other manifestations include limp, fever, etc. 3.What are the terrible consequences of having osteosarcoma? Due to the high degree of malignancy and the rapid development of the disease, the previous concept that having osteosarcoma is equivalent to pronouncing a death sentence on the patient. However, with the continuous development of medical technology, the effective control rate of the disease is now over 90%, and 50%-75% of patients can be cured with regular treatment. Therefore, children suffering from osteosarcoma must be treated in the relevant departments with professional technical capabilities. 4.How to treat osteosarcoma? The main treatment for this disease is “chemotherapy + surgery + chemotherapy” at home and abroad. At present, the surgical treatment is to completely remove the diseased bone tissue and replace it with normal bone or metal joints. After treatment, all patients can not only remove the tumor cells in their bodies, but also preserve the affected limbs and resume normal study and daily life. 5.Can surgery to remove the tumor eradicate osteosarcoma? The current concept is that all malignant tumors are a kind of systemic disease in human body, which means that the lesion is manifested as a local mass, but the tumor cells are spread all over the body. Therefore, surgical resection alone cannot cure the tumor, and systematic and standardized systemic chemotherapy is required. According to this concept, it is wrong to adopt treatments such as simple amputation or lesion scraping for osteosarcoma, which will not only fail to achieve the purpose of treatment but also delay the development of the disease, and even accelerate the development of the disease, leading to tumor spread and metastasis. 6.Can osteosarcoma be prevented? Since osteosarcoma is a kind of malignant tumor caused by genetic mutation, there is no effective preventive measure for this disease by modern medical technology. For children with osteosarcoma, early detection and treatment should be done, and consultation and treatment should be carried out in regular specialized hospitals. Do not believe in some “partial prescription”, “exclusive secret formula” and other deceptive treatment methods to avoid delaying the disease and causing irreversible damage to patients.