Bone cancer

Bone cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the bone tissue. There are 2 types of bone cancers, primary and secondary. Primary bone cancer begins in the bone. Secondary bone cancer begins somewhere else in the body, and spreads (or metastasizes) to the bone. Primary bone cancer is rare.

Bone cancers that affect young people include:

• Osteosarcoma, primarily affects young people under the age of 20. It usually affects the knee or leg bones. If it spreads, it most often goes to the lungs. Previous exposure to radiation has been shown to increase the risk for this cancer.
• Ewing's sarcoma, primarily affects young people between the ages of 3 and 25. It is most common in the pelvis or the legs.

Bone cancers that affect adults include:

• chondrosarcoma, primarily affects adults 50 to 60 years of age and
• fibrosarcoma, arises from connective (fibrous) tissue

Besides radiation exposure, other known risk factors for bone cancers are diagnosis of Paget's disease and diagnosis of multiple exostoses (overgrowths of bone tissue).

The symptoms of bone cancer may include:

• persistent pain and/or swelling unrelated to injury or
• a fracture, particularly after only a minor injury

Diagnosis is most often made through the use of x-rays. A bone biopsy is done to find out if a bone tumor is primary or secondary bone cancer. In this test, a sample of the affected cells is collected through a needle and examined under a microscope.

Treatment may include one or more of the following:

• radiation therapy
• chemotherapy or
• surgery

The treatment depends on the type, site, and extent of the bone cancer. People affected with primary bone cancer are surviving much better than they did just a few years ago. Depending on the extent of the disease, treatment may slow or temporarily stop the growth of the cancer for up to 4 or 5 years, or longer.

Consult the UI Health Care Cancer Information Service for more information about this topic.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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