Weakened Bones
As bone cancer progresses, the bone will inevitably weaken. A healthy body has cells that break down, repair, and rebuild bone. These osteocytes maintain a necessary balance. If that balance cannot be maintained, the jobs of the osteoclasts, which break down bone, becomes detrimental to the body. Bones start to deteriorate faster than they can be replaced. Additionally, the lack of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, will cause the body to drain those stores from the bones. Bone density and calcification will cease and a weakening of the entire skeletal structure ensues.
Often, these weakened bones are first noted when the patient receives an inexplicable fracture. They might not even realize they have a splintering of the bone but instead develop a pronounced limp out of nowhere. Sometimes, range of motion becomes severely limited, hindering daily life. Healthy bone is incredibly resilient against shocks and impacts, while bones weakened from cancer are more likely to crack or break under less stress. The pain of that fracture or break drives them to the doctor’s office or hospital, where they soon learn they have weakened bones due to cancer.
