A week after his arm was amputated, a 16-year-old from Itanheim, on the coast of São Paulo, reported, st 1 Feeling relieved and hopeless at the same time from the removal of the organ, after discovering bone cancer and the need to take morphine to relieve the pain. He stated that the symptoms began six months ago, but the tumor was discovered only two months ago.
Lucas Andrade Rizzo loved to have long hair, spend quality time with his family and take care of his animals, in addition to daily tasks such as school lessons. However, in the past six months, the teen’s routine has changed. as told to st 1 This Sunday (27) he started experiencing severe pain in his right arm and noticed a lump growing above the elbow.
Accompanied by his mother and stepfather, he went to the doctor several times, and learned that it was a “growing pain”, because it was developing physically, and it was normal. According to the young man, the doctors took an x-ray and said there was nothing wrong, although he showed internal swelling and a swollen arm.
After months of coming and going to the hospital, he was sent to Santa Casa de Santos, also on the coast of São Paulo. After a biopsy, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancer of the bone. It was discovered two months ago.
Lucas started chemotherapy sessions, became weaker due to the effects of the treatment, and also lost his hair, an important characteristic that was part of his identity.
A teenager will amputate his right hand next week after starting treatment for osteosarcoma – Photo: personal archive
“Very hard. My hair was long and it was hard for me to lose it, I loved it so much. I got my independence, I took care of my animals, I gave my family affection and attention to my family, my girlfriend, and then everything changed.”
The boy further explains that because of the severe pain, doctors prescribed him morphine, but his mother did not get the medicine for free, and he spent a large sum to follow the prescription. According to him, the arm with a tumor was measured at 41 centimeters.
In addition, he also needs nutritional supplements, however, with the unemployed mother and stepfather also, needing to monitor the stepson’s treatments, counseling and hospitalization, the family finds financial difficulties to support itself.
After months of pain, not being able to follow school lessons daily, do the activities he loved or even bend his right arm, Rizzo discovered that he would have to amputate the limb, because at the point in which the tumor was diagnosed, there was no longer any chance of recovering the arm.
The procedure is scheduled for the next week. Being right-handed, the teenager has difficulties in re-adapting and carrying out activities with his left arm. Even scared, he also says he is relieved that he eventually no longer feels any pain.
A teenager discovered cancer after going to the doctors several times – Photo: personal archive
“I feel a little bit of both [preocupação e alívio]. I’m glad it’s finally all over, and then I’ll just get chemotherapy. But no one wants to lose an arm. I have already looked for prosthetics, but they are very expensive. On the one hand, I’m fine, and on the other hand, I’m very desperate. ”
An Itanheim resident believes that an amputation would not be necessary if doctors paid more attention to his problem. However, he hopes to get past this stage and get back into his routine.
Had I had treatment before, I would definitely have had a better result, and probably wouldn’t need amputation. But now there is nothing that can be done. I only intend to try to have as normal a life as possible after it’s over.”
According to the data of the Brazilian Society of Oncology, bone tumors account for 2% of oncological diseases in Brazil. On average, two to three cases of the disease are recorded per million inhabitants, the most common type in children and adolescents is osteosarcoma.
Bone cancer usually affects the long bones of the arms, thighs, spine and pelvis. The disease is classified as primary osteosarcoma, which is when cancer develops directly in the bone; Secondary bone tumor, which arises from a process known as bone metastasis, when cancer spreads to another organ through the bone, explains orthopedist Fernando Brasil.
The exact cause of most types of bone cancer is unknown. However, it is thought to be related to an error in the DNA of some cells, resulting in a mutation or irregular cell division.
Exposure to high levels of radiation, genetic syndromes and pre-existing diseases, such as Paget’s disease, increase the chances of developing osteoporosis. Some of the main symptoms of this cancer are severe and recurring pain in certain parts of the body and pathological fractures caused by some previous injuries to the bones.
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