Bone Cancer

Bone cancer is not one disease but a collection of related diseases. The two most common forms of primary bone cancer, or bone cancer that originates in the bone, are multiple myeloma and osteosarcoma. Secondary bone cancer is cancer that originates elsewhere in the body. Bone cancer's most notable symptom is pain.

Multiple myeloma, the most common form of primary bone cancer, usually affects older people. It attacks the tissues that create immune-system components called B cells, which in turn create antibodies that fight disease. The most likely cause of this disease is chronic over stimulation of the B cells. These cells are activated by petroleum products and by chemicals used in farming, leatherworking, and woodworking.

Since multiple myeloma depletes the body's supply of B cells, one of the main problems in managing the disease is reduced resistance to infection. People with multiple myeloma are particularly susceptible to infections in the urinary tract, lungs, and sinuses.

While radiation therapy is used to reduce localized bone pain, chemotherapy is the main treatment option for multiple myeloma. Usually steroid medications, such as dexamethasone (Decadron) and prednisone (Deltasone), are used. When used in combination, they can extend remission time but, ironically, can also destroy bone. They also depress the immune system, which is already depressed by the disease itself. Chemotherapy may be combined with immunotherapy, in which interferon, one of the body's own immune agents, is used. Another option is high-dose chemotherapy with a bone-marrow transplant. Bone marrow, a jellylike substance in the cavities of the bones, contains blood forming stem cells. These cells are critical for life because they continually produce red blood cells, which carry oxygen; white blood cells, which help to fight infection; and platelets, which act as clotting agents to stop bleeding. A bone-marrow transplant makes it possible to receive chemotherapy at levels high enough that all the bone-marrow cells are effectively killed, then replaced with healthy marrow.

Osteosarcoma is the other major form of primary bone cancer. Doctors are not sure what causes this disease. But since it most often affects adolescents, it may be related to the rapid bone growth that occurs in childhood. This form of cancer does not damage the immune system the way multiple myeloma does, but it can spread to the lungs. Doctors usually treat osteosarcoma with surgery and chemotherapy.

Probably the largest percentage of people who have bone cancer have secondary tumors. Cancers of the bladder, breast, kidney, lung, ovary, and prostate can all spread to bone. Even after these cancers establish themselves in bone, they retain the characteristics they had in their organ of origin. Estrogen-stimulated breast cancer, for example, is still stimulated by estrogen when it spreads to bone tissue. The same is true of testosterone-stimulated prostate cancer.

Herbal medicines cannot replace medical treatment for bone cancer. However, herbal therapies can make conventional treatment of this disease both more effective and more bearable, among other benefits. For maximum benefit, choose among the herbs in the appropriate categories after talking to a knowledgeable health-care provider. Especially in treating childhood bone cancer, always work with an herbal practitioner along with the physician; the dosages provided in this entry are meant for adults.

Supplements and herbs

• Bupleurum tea prepared by TCM practitioner; or Saikosaponin tablets. Take 300 mg 3 times daily.
  Also prevents muscle spasms and steroid side effects.
  Bupleurum occasionally causes mild stomach upset. If this happens, speak with the dispensing herbalist about reducing the dose. Do not take bupleurum if you have a fever or if you are taking antibiotics.
• Lentinan intramuscular injection, given by health-care provider.
  Also activates natural killer (NK) and T cells against osteosarcoma.
• Siberian ginseng pure Eleutherococcus senticosus extract. Take the dose recommended on the label in 1/4 cup water.
  A natural complement to lentinan that also activates B cells.
  Do not use Siberian ginseng if you have prostate cancer or an autoimmune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Astragalus capsules. Take 500-1,000 mg 3 times daily.
  Restores white blood cell count.
  Do not use astragalus if you have a fever or a skin infection.
• Maitake - Maitake-D. Take 2,000 mg 3 times daily, before meals.
  Reduces tumor formation.
• Scutellaria capsules. Take 1,000-2,000 mg 3 times daily.
  Kills bacteria and viruses in people with multiple myeloma.
  Do not use scutellaria if you have diarrhea.
• Psoralea seed, scurfy pea, or bu gu zhi capsules. Take 1,000 mg 3 times daily.
  Contains compounds that prevent secondary lung cancer.
  Psoralea increases sensitivity to sunlight. Use sunscreen and avoid exposure to the sun while using this herb.

What else you can do

• Get enough vitamin A and selenium, since these substances kill bone cancer cells in laboratory tests. Ensure an adequate supply of vitamin A by eating daily servings of dark-green, yellow, or orange fruits and vegetables, and take 150 micrograms of selenium daily. Since selenium requires the help of vitamin E for its anticancer effect, also take from 200 to 400 international units of vitamin E daily.
• Get twenty minutes of morning or evening sun daily. Sunlight helps the skin synthesize vitamin D, which regulates the reproduction of bone cells, slowing the rate at which bone cancer cells multiply. Avoid vitamin D supplements, however, since these may cause the bone to release calcium that is already depleted by the cancer. If you are taking psoralea, be sure to use sunscreen.
• Prednisone (Deltasone) may be given with interferon, a chemical produced by the immune system. This therapy is generally given after the myeloma has been stabilized by other forms of chemotherapy, and has been shown to increase life expectancy. Doctors almost always prescribe interferon to be given in the evening, so that its flu like side effects will not appear until after you have had a chance to get some sleep.

• Cancer Prevention
• Side Effects of Cancer Treatment