Bone cancer is a horrific diagnosis that no one would ever want. Bone cancer may not be widespread, but bone cancer does exist in some parts of the human body, including the face. When the bones in your face are infected with bone cancer, it can potentially alter your looks, your eating manner, your way of speaking, and even your breathing manner. It is because of this reason that one should understand what face bone cancer is, its look, and how it can be cured.
Here in this blog, we will make things easy for you. We will tell you what bone cancer is, how it develops in the face, how to identify the symptoms, causes, remedies, and what is life with it for the patient who is suffering from it.
What Is Bone Cancer?
Bone cancer is when the cancerous cells proliferate and grow an abnormal mass or tumor. The cells simply keep growing and maturing, and they can weaken the normal bone. Cancer scarcely begins in the bone. This is known as primary bone cancer. Cancer that occurs elsewhere scarcely ever spreads to the bone. This is referred to as secondary bone cancer or bone metastasis.
When it happens to facial bones i.e., jawbone, cheekbone, or skull it is rare but can occur.
Face Bones
There are numerous small and large bones in the human face. The most crucial among them are:
- Jawbone (maxilla and mandible) enables you to chew and smile using teeth
- Cheekbone (zygomatic bone) shapes your face
- Nasal bones shapes your nose
- Skull bones They shield your brain and form your top face
If cancer arises in one of them, doctors will call it facial bone cancer.
Bone Cancers That Will Impact the Face
Different types of bone cancer will impact face bones:
- Osteosarcoma – Most common of the major bone cancers. Also found in the jawbone.
- Chondrosarcoma – Cancer of the cartilage, which forms in facial structures.
- Ewing’s Sarcoma – Found in children and adolescents. Found in facial bones or skull bones.
- Metastatic Bone Cancer – Spread from another type of tumor in another area of the body (breast, lung, prostate) to facial bones.
Symptoms of Bone Cancer in the Face
Facial bone cancer is not easily diagnosed in its initial stage. Because its symptoms are the same as that of other ailments. Such as infection and toothache. Its some of the signs to watch out for are as follows:
- Swelling or lump on the face that refuses to go away
- Pain in jaw, cheek, or eye
- Loosening of teeth or teeth failure to recover after dental treatment
- Difficulty in opening and closing the mouth
- Numbness or tingling of the face
- Difficulty in viewing if there is bone involvement close to the eyes
- Nosebleed or nasal congestion that continues to persist
- Distortion in facial shape or symmetry
All of these, if prolonged for weeks and don’t resolve, need to be assessed by a doctor.
Causes and Risk Factors
Doctors cannot always specify the exact cause for face bone cancer. But some of the following can heighten the risk:
- Genetic disorders – Fragile genetic disorders may increase the risk
- Radiation exposure – History of radiation treatment to the face or head
- Bone disease – Some benign bone disorders have a tendency to malignancy
- Age – Fragile osteosarcoma is more frequent in teenagers, and chondrosarcoma in individuals older than 40 years
- History of cancer – People with a cancer history elsewhere in the body are at increased risk of having face bone cancer
How Is Bone Cancer of the Face Diagnosed
Some things are performed by physicians in order to know whether a person has faced bone cancer or not:
- Medical history and physical examination – The physician investigates the swelling, pain, and other symptoms
- X-rays and CT scans – Imaging procedures to measure bone loss and monitor tumor size
- MRI scan – Excellent bone and soft tissue imaging
- Biopsy – A small amount of the lump or bone is taken out and examined in a microscope to check if it is cancer
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on how big cancer is, where cancer is growing on the face, and whether or not the cancer spreads to other parts. Most typical treatment is:
Surgery
Surgery is the majority of the first treatment. Surgeons will try to remove the tumor. And preserve as much healthy tissue and bone as possible. Reconstructive surgery might have to be done to rebuild the face structure.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation kills cancer cells by high-energy beams. Radiation is given pre-surgery to reduce the tumor or after surgery to kill remaining cancer cells.
Chemotherapy
Medications are given to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is most effective for osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma. It occurs especially in children and teenagers.
Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy
Previous treatments only attack cancer. Or they just provoke the immune system to fight cancer. However, these are not very common but maybe used in some bone cancers of the face.
Surviving Face Bone Cancer
Face bone cancer can not only attack health, but also appearance, speech, and eating. Patients may require help with:
- Speech therapy – To regain intelligible speech if mouth or jaw is affected
- Dental care – Teeth may be lost during surgery and can be restored
- Emotional support – Cancer is frightening, and the loss of a limb can destroy self-confidence. Counseling or support group would be helpful
- Physical therapy – Facial and jaw muscles will need to exercise so that they are in the right position to function
Survival depends on:
- Type of bone cancer
- Size and location of the tumor
- Whether it spread to other parts of the body
- How soon it was diagnosed
Most people can live for many years after treatment if diagnosed early and treated. It becomes increasingly difficult to treat if diagnosed late. Early diagnosis is therefore very critical.
Prevention of Bone Cancer
Facial bone cancer can’t be avoided but you can lower your risk by:
- Avoiding exposure to unnecessary radiation
- Maintaining dental and medical check-ups regularly
- Detection of any lump, swelling, or pain on the face
- Good living with good nutrition, no alcohol consumption, and hardly any alcohol consumption
FAQs
Is bone cancer common on one’s face?
No, it is not. Bone cancers are most often found in arms, legs, or the pelvis.
Are dental problems mistaken for bone cancer?
Yes, jaw bone cancer can appear as one’s toothache or infection of teeth.
Do facial bone cancers always metastasize?
No, not always. Some can be surgically removed if they are caught in time.
Do children get bone cancer in the face?
Yes, especially such as Ewing’s sarcoma, which most often occurs among young adults.
Is face bone cancer painful?
Pain is unpredictable. Some ache continually, but others swell first.
Facial bone cancer is rare. But it is serious. It can destroy your health, your looks, and your lifestyle. The good news is that there are plenty of things modern medicine can do for it. Including surgery, radiation, and more recent developments. The sooner you do, the better. So if you notice swelling, pain, or some other symptom on your face. And that just won’t go away, don’t hesitate. Get an office visit and have them take a look.
Once we are aware of the symptoms, causes, and medicines, then we can inform people and inform more people about how to diagnose this disease at the initial stage. Proper medication, hope, and proper treatment are enough for a person to get rid of face bone cancer.
