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Q: 

does the lump come and go if it is osteosarcoma?

By Anonymous January 10, 2013 - 3:15pm
 
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Guide

Hello Anonymous,

No. Osteosarcoma is a cancerous (malignant) bone tumor that usually develops during the period of rapid growth that occurs in adolescence. It is most often seen in teenage boys.

The most common symptoms of osteosarcoma are pain and swelling in a child's leg or arm. It occurs most often in the longer bones of the body — such as above or below the knee or in the upper arm near the shoulder.

Pain may be worse during exercise or at night, and a lump or swelling may develop in the affected area up to several weeks after the pain starts. Pain that persistently wakes the child up at night or pain at rest are of particular concern.

In osteosarcoma of the leg, the child may also develop an unexplained limp. In some cases, the first sign of the disease is a broken arm or leg, because the cancer has weakened the bone to make it vulnerable to a break.

Maryann

January 10, 2013 - 5:18pm
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Anonymous (reply to Maryann Gromisch RN)

Thank you. I already have read about everything that you sent me. My son has all those symptoms except that the lump comes and goes. That is why I was hoping that maybe he does not have osteosarcoma. He does not have a limp.

January 11, 2013 - 11:07am
Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anonymous,

Have you taken your son to the pediatrician? If not, I strongly suggest that you make an appointment, particularly when the lump is palpable. That is the best way to find out what it is. Will also eliminate any unnecessary concerns.

Last summer, my son told me that he felt a lump just above his knee. He experienced pain when he ran cross country or jogged. It turned out to be osteochondroma, benign (noncancerous) tumor that develops during childhood or adolescence. It is an abnormal growth that forms on the surface of a bone near the growth plate.

We began with a trip to the pediatrician, a referral to an orthopedic surgeon, and several weeks of physical therapy.

Maryann

January 11, 2013 - 6:15pm
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