An increase in cases of musculoskeletal tumors is being observed in hospitals in Karachi.
Bone tumors are commonly found in children, which often cause pain but do not show external symptoms. In adults, tumors of flesh and muscles are more common, which initially do not cause pain but swelling begins to appear.
These views were expressed by Jinnah Hospital orthopedic specialist Dr Sajjad Bughio during a conversation. He said that he wanted to talk about tumors of bones and soft tissues, which are called musculoskeletal tumors.
He said that these include cancers of bones, muscles, fat, and other soft tissues, but unfortunately people often ignore them. If there is swelling in the hand, foot, or leg that continues to increase, persists for more than a month, or there is swelling without pain, it may be a warning sign.
Similarly, bone pain that is particularly severe at night or does not improve with common painkillers can be alarming.
He said that if a bone breaks due to a minor injury, it may also indicate that there is an underlying disease or cancer in the bone. Such symptoms should be taken seriously and an orthopedic or oncology surgeon should be consulted immediately rather than relying on traditional remedies.
He said that in Pakistan there is a shortage of specialist doctors for these cases, but he still gives a message to all doctors that if there is even slight suspicion, no treatment should be started before a biopsy and the case should be fully investigated before biopsy. When there is suspicion, they first conduct X ray, MRI, and other tests along with biopsy. After completing all these stages, treatment is initiated, which helps determine the presence and severity of the disease.
Furthermore, in severe cases, the disease is first reduced through chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and then surgery is performed. Tumors of flesh and muscles are common in adults and are often painless, which is why they are ignored, but swelling begins to appear in such tumors. In children, bone tumors are more common and they also complain of pain.
