Foot pain is common, especially for those in a state like New York where walking is a part of many people's daily lives. Foot pain could be a sign of a bone tumor, and while most foot bone tumors are benign, in rare cases they could be cancerous.
Foot pain is rarely caused by a bone tumor, but when it is, this means that healthy bone tissue has been replaced by the tumor and the result could be a fracture. There are 82 different types of foot bone tumors, according to the World Health Organization. A lump on the foot could be a bone tumor, even if it is not painful. Malignant foot tumors are rare, and benign tumors do not necessarily require treatment. Those that do may be treated surgically.
Doctors can diagnose foot bone tumors by first ruling out other causes of foot pain or a lump, such as infection or fracture. X-rays or other radiographic tests may be performed. If bone cancer is suspected, examinations of other parts of the body may be performed.
When a bone tumor is found to be malignant, a doctor could recommend excision of the tumor and a bone implant or amputation of the foot if the cancer is advanced. The patient could also be prescribed treatment with radiation or chemotherapy.
One key to successful cancer treatment is early detection, so a delayed diagnosis could mean the difference between a patient's survival or loss of the battle with the disease. When a doctor performs tests and fails to diagnose cancer that is present, this could be a case of malpractice. A patient who is harmed by a doctor's failure to diagnose a disease could be entitled to compensation under malpractice law.
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