Bone Cancer: The Case of Famous Tiktoker Charlie Sarria

People think cancer is a disease that only affects the elderly. and most young people are safe from this fearsome disease. However, this pathology does not differentiate between ages; Unfortunately, this time the one who fell victim to cancer is a 20-year-old man, Carlos Sarria, a 20-year-old Tik toker who suffered from osteosarcoma and recounted his entire experience on Tiktok with this disease.

Charlieee, as he was known on Tiktok, had been fighting cancer since 2018, but he couldn’t win the fight and his disease metastasized. This young tiktoker is living proof of how emphasis should be placed on early cancer detection programs to give patients the highest chances of survival. After learning the sad news of the death of the tiktoker, Internet users wonder what this disease affects, in this article we try to resolve some of these concerns.

This sarcoma is most common in children and adolescents but can occur at any age. Currently there is no written formula to prevent bone cancer, however, scientific advances in the treatment of the disease have helped improve the quality of life of patients and have managed to prevent it from being 100% deadly. We must be aware that periodic check-ups may be necessary, especially if there are genetic factors that may make us more prone to suffering from this disease. Unfortunately, “this type of cancer metastasizes to the lungs and other bones. At the time of diagnosis, metastasis is observed in approximately one third of children with this type of sarcoma”, according to MedLine Plus, the online information service of the US National Library of Medicine.

Some genetic factors that can increase the chance of developing bone cancer are:

• Retinoblastoma – Children with a rare type of eye cancer called retinoblastoma are more likely to develop soft tissue sarcomas. If radiation is used to treat eye cancer, the risk of osteosarcoma developing in the bones around the eye being treated is even higher.
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome – Li-Fraumeni syndrome (read-FRAH-meh-nee) increases a person’s risk of various types of cancer, including breast cancer, brain cancer, osteosarcoma, and other sarcomas.
• Rothmund-Thomson syndrome – Rothmund-Thomson syndrome is a syndrome in children that causes short stature, skeletal problems, and rashes. These children are more likely to develop osteosarcoma.

This type of cancer can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

1. Pain, swelling and tenderness near the affected area.

2. Bone pain.

3. Tiredness without apparent cause. 

4. Fever with no known cause.

5. Weight loss without trying

We should not forget about prevention which is especially important for higher-risk groups of patients. This can lead to early detection of any type of cancer and its successful treatment. Young people, it is important to become aware of the seriousness and importance of this disease, since just like ‘Charlie’, a young man of only 20 years old, anyone could start a fight that he may not be able to win.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119