Bone Tumors: Therapy

General measures

  • Nicotine restriction (refraining from tobacco use).
  • Limited alcohol consumption (men: max. 25 g alcohol per day; women: max. 12 g alcohol per day).
  • Limited caffeine consumption (max 240 mg of caffeine per day; equivalent to 2 to 3 cups of coffee or 4 to 6 cups of green/black tea).
  • Aim for normal weight! Determination of BMI (body mass index, body mass index) or body composition by means of electrical impedance analysis and, if necessary, participation in a medically supervised program for the underweight.
    • Falling below the BMI lower limit (from the age of 19: 19; from the age of 25: 20; from the age of 35: 21; from the age of 45: 22; from the age of 55: 23; from the age of 65: 24) → Participation in a medically supervised program for the underweight.

Conventional non-surgical therapy methods

  • Chemotherapy (cytostatic therapy):
  • Osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma: radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (synonyms: thermal ablation; sclerotherapy) – Since damage to muscles, tendons, soft tissues and also nerves located in the surgical access path to the nidus (focus) cannot always be excluded, CT-guided radiofrequency ablation of the nidus is now considered standard therapy. As part of this, a special probe is inserted into the nidus and heated via an alternating current field at the tip. This destroys the prostaglandin-producing cells (prostaglandin = “pain substance”) in the center and the pain conduction pathways. The procedure is minimally invasive.Another option for heat ablation is laser ablation (LA).

Vaccinations

The following vaccinations are advised:

  • Flu vaccination
  • Pneumococcal vaccination

Regular checkups

  • Regular follow-up examinations for malignant (malignant) bone tumors for early detection of recurrence (recurrence of the disease) and for benign (benign) bone tumors with or without a risk of degeneration

Nutritional medicine

  • Nutritional counseling based on nutritional analysis
  • Nutritional recommendations according to a mixed diet, taking into account the general knowledge of nutrition in a tumor disease. This means:
    • Consume only limited energy-rich foods.
    • Moderate total fat intake
    • Little red meat (pork, beef, lamb, veal) and sausages.
    • Once or twice a week fresh sea fish, ie fatty marine fish (omega-3 fatty acids) such as salmon, herring, mackerel.
    • High-fiber diet (whole grains, vegetables).
    • Daily total of 5 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits (≥ 400 g; 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit).
    • Reduce consumption of smoked and cured foods, because they contain nitrate or nitrite as a component of curing salt. Their preparation produces compounds (nitrosamines), which are risk factors for various tumor diseases.
    • Refrain from polluted foods such as offal and wild mushrooms.
    • Do not eat moldy food
  • Observe the following special dietary recommendations:
    • Calcium-rich (1,000 mg calcium/day) diet: fish, fresh vegetables, dairy products, whole grains and nuts are beneficial for bone formation.
    • Vitamin D-rich diet (supplementation with 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D3 required, since no sufficient absorption of vitamin D from food is possible!)
    • Avoidance of phosphate-containing drinks and foods (eg cola drinks, various sausages and meat products).
    • Note that for optimal bone metabolism must be fed less acid-forming foods and instead more base-donating foods.
    • Diet rich in:
  • Selection of appropriate food based on the nutritional analysis
  • See also under “Therapy with micronutrients (vital substances)” – if necessary, taking a suitable dietary supplement.
  • Detailed information on nutritional medicine you will receive from us.

Physical therapy (including physiotherapy)

  • In cases of neurological deficits, physiotherapeutic procedures may be used, possibly in combination with surgery, depending on the exact tumor type.

Psychotherapy