What is the treatment for secondary bone cancer ?
The place where a cancer starts in the body is known as the primary tumor. A cancerous tumor is made up of millions of melanoma tissues. Some of these tissues may break away from the primary melanoma and be carried in the bloodstream to another part of the body system. The tissues of melanoma may settle in that part of the body system and then form a new tumor. If this happens it’s called a secondary melanoma or a metastasis.
There is no single set treatment for bone metastases. Treatment depends on type of cancer, extent of the spread of metastases, prior treatment and other factors. Only a physician who is very familiar with the person’s medical details can know what the best treatment is. However, in general terms treatment of bone metastases can be palliative (relief of symptoms) or curative. For many people with advanced cancer there may be no known effective cure so treatment may largely be focused on prolonging life and relieving the symptoms of bone metastases (eg. pain relief). However in certain cases where there is a chance of cure the treatment may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and possibly bone marrow / stem cell transplantation.
