Bone cancer can grow in any of the 200 bones in your body, although it’s more common in the large bones in your arms or legs. It can affect both adults and children.
Bone cancer can be either primary or secondary. Each one is treated differently.
Primary bone cancer is a rare cancer. It begins in the bones. The cancer cells can grow on the surface of the bone, in its outer layer or in the centre. It gradually destroys the healthy bone and it can spread to other parts of the body. Primary bone cancer is sometimes called osteosarcoma or bone sarcoma.
Osteosarcoma, or primary bone cancer cells, can grow on the surface of the bone, in its outer layer or in the centre.Secondary bone cancer is cancer that started somewhere else in the body and spread to the bones. It is more common than primary bone cancer. Any type of cancer can spread to the bone, but the most common types are breast, lung, kidney, thyroid and prostate cancers.
Secondary bone cancers are usually found in the hip, thighbone, shoulder or spine.
What are the types of bone cancer?
There are many different types of primary bone cancer. The most common is osteosarcoma, which usually affects teenagers or young adults and is found at the ends of the long bones.
The second most common type is chondrosarcoma, which grows in the bone cartilage at the ends of the bones. It’s usually seen in people over 40 and is found in the pelvis, shoulder, knee, spine, upper parts of the arms or legs, or the ribs.
Ewing sarcomas are tumours that grow in the bone or soft tissues around the bone. They’re most often seen in young teenagers and can grow quickly. They are usually found in the middle of the hip bones, the rib cage or on the shoulder blades.
Some other types of cancer grow in the bone marrow inside the bones, including leukaemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. These are not treated as bone cancers, but they do also affect the bones.
What are the symptoms of bone cancer?
The most common symptoms of bone cancer are pain in the bones, usually at night time or after physical activity. You might also notice a swelling over the bone.
Other symptoms are:
stiff bones
a bone that breaks for no reason
problems moving, such as an unexplained limp
losing feeling in the limb
losing weight unexpectedly
feeling very tired
All of these symptoms could be due to something other than bone cancer. But if you are worried, tell your doctor.
What causes bone cancer?
We don’t fully understand why some people develop primary bone cancer, but some things can increase your risk:
having a bone disease such as Paget’s disease of the bone
having previously had high doses of radiation therapy for another cancer
having a problem with your genes, or having a close relative who had bone cancer
How is bone cancer diagnosed?
Your doctor will examine you and order some tests. These might include a bone scan, or an x-ray, CT, MRI or PET scan.
Your doctor may remove a small sample of tissue to be examined in a laboratory (a biopsy) to make a firm diagnosis. This will either be done with a small needle inserted into the tumour or during surgery.
