Osteosarcoma Essay

TOPIC: Osteosarcoma

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To inform my audience on what osteosarcoma is, how it is treated, and Zach Sobiech’s story.

THESIS STATEMENT: Osteosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that weakens the bone.

INTRODUCTION

I. The human body consists of 206 bones and osteosarcoma can develop in any one of them; do the math, that’s 206 possible places for osteosarcoma to occur. (Attention getter)

II. We all came into this classroom by walking; in order to do so we not only need functioning legs, but functioning bones as well.

III. Osteosarcoma is both rare, and extremely hard to treat because none of its treatments guarantee a cure. (Thesis)

IV. Today, I’ll talk to you about osteosarcoma, what it is, how it is treated, and I will tell you Zach Sobiech’s story. (Preview)

Transition: So, what exactly is osteosarcoma?

BODY

I. Osteosarcoma is simply a rare type of cancer that develops in the bone.

A. It is most common in long bones, especially those around the knee.

1. Other sites for osteosarcoma according to www.hopkinsmedicine.org include the upper leg, or thighbone, the lower leg, upper arm bone, or any bone in the body, including those in the pelvis, shoulder, and skull.

2. In the following visual, Hannah Thompson (Bone Cancer Research Trust, www.bcrt.org.uk) provides us with an image *shows the image* stating that:

a. 94% of all osteosarcomas develop in the bones of the arms and legs.

b. 15% of which occurs in the upper arm bone, or humerus.

c. 48% of which occurs in the upper leg bone, or femur.

d. 4% of which occurs in the back lower leg bone, or fibular.

e. 27% of which occurs in the front lower leg bone, or tibia.

f. She also states that the remaining 6% occur in areas such as the skull, ribs, pelvis, lower arm, hand,...

... middle of paper ...

...r runs out, and instead it finds sweeter places and extracts the flavor out of them without remorse. (Memorable close)

Sources:

What are the risk factors of osteosarcoma? From http://www.cancer.org/cancer/osteosarcoma/detailedguide/osteosarcoma-risk-factors

Treatments of osteosarcoma: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Bone/Typesofbonecancer/Osteosarcoma.aspx#

Osteosarcoma: http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/suppl_7/vii320.full

Zach Sobiech’s story: http://www.childrenscancer.org/zach/

The Osteosarcoma Research’s View: http://www.dana-farber.org/Newsroom/Publications/The-Osteosarcoma-Researcher-s-View.aspx

What is Osteosarcoma? From: http://www.dana-farber.org/Newsroom/Publications/The-Osteosarcoma-Researcher-s-View.aspx

Osteosarcoma: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/adult/bone_disorders/osteosarcoma_85,P00127/