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Bone cancer

The human body is made of more than 200 bones. These support the body and protect organs such as the heart and lungs. Bones are made of cells called osteocytes, which are bound together by a calcium-like material to give the bone its strength. Bones are filled with a spongy material called bone marrow, which makes blood cells.

Although it looks and feels quite hard, bone contains living cells. These cells can develop tumours, or cancer. Bone cancer may be a primary cancer (starts in the bone) or a secondary cancer (starts in another part of the body and spreads to the bone).

Primary bone cancer
Primary bone cancer, or cancer that starts in the bone, is quite rare. Only about 46 people develop bone cancer in Victoria each year. Less than one per cent of people with bone cancer have primary bone cancer. The most common type of primary bone cancer is osteosarcoma. This cancer usually affects young adults. It can affect any bone, but the arms, legs and pelvis are more commonly affected. Other less common forms of primary bone cancer include Ewing sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and chondrosarcoma.

The causes of primary bone cancer are not known; however, adults who have Paget’s disease (a bone disease) may have an increased risk.

Secondary bone cancer
Secondary bone cancer is the most common bone cancer. It is a cancer that starts somewhere else in the body and spreads (metastasises) to the bone. The most common cancers that spread to the bone are cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, kidney and thyroid.

Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of bone cancer include:

  • Painful bones and joints – the pain is often worse at night
  • Swelling of bones and joints
  • Problems with movement
  • Susceptibility to fractures.
Other less common symptoms can include:
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Tiredness
  • Fever and sweating.
Remember, bone cancer is very rare so if you have any of these symptoms, it is more likely to be caused by another condition. Always see your doctor if you have symptoms that last for longer than two weeks.

Diagnosis
Diagnosing bone cancer involves a number of tests, including:
  • X-rays and bone scans – to show the exact location and size of the cancer (these are always done prior to biopsy).
  • Bone biopsy – a small sample of the cancer is removed from the bone and examined in the laboratory for the presence of cancer cells.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan – similar to a CT scan but uses magnetism instead of x-rays to build three-dimensional pictures of your body. These are more commonly being used to investigate possible bone tumours.
Treatment
Treatment options include:
  • Primary bone cancers – the cancer, surrounding bone tissue and nearby lymph nodes are surgically removed. In severe cases, the affected limb may need to be amputated, but this is rare. Treatment may also include radiotherapy (x-rays to target and kill the cancer cells) and chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs). These may be given before surgery, to shrink the cancer, and/or afterwards to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
  • Secondary bone cancer – treatment depends on the treatment for the original cancer, but usually includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormone therapy. Surgery may be needed to strengthen the affected bone.
Where to get help Things to remember
  • Primary bone cancer starts in the bone and accounts for less than one per cent of people with bone cancer.
  • Secondary bone cancer is the most common form of bone cancer and is caused by the spread of cancer cells from a cancer somewhere else in the body, such as the breast, prostate or lungs.
  • Treatment options for bone cancer may include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

    Related articles:

Bone marrow.
Bone marrow donors.
Cancer and food.
Cancer and heredity.
Cancer explained.
Cancer pain management.
Cancer treatments - chemotherapy.
Cancer treatments - radiotherapy.
Palliative care explained.


This page has been sourced from the Better Health Channel and produced in consultation with, and approved by the following sponsor. The sponsor logo links to more information relevant to this article.

The Cancer Council Victoria


Article publication date: 13/08/2001
Last reviewed: 30/01/2009

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This article, like all health articles on the Disability Online, is sourced from Better Health Channel and has passed through a rigorous and exhaustive approval process. It is also regularly updated. For more information see Better Health Channel quality assurance page.


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