Bone Tumor Overview
Learn About Bone Tumor
A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within a bone. A bone tumor may be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).
Tumor - bone; Bone cancer; Primary bone tumor; Secondary bone tumor; Bone tumor - benign
The cause of bone tumors is unknown. They often occur in areas of the bone that grow rapidly. Possible causes include:
- Genetic defects passed down through families
- Radiation
- Injury
In most cases, no specific cause is found.
Osteochondromas are the most common noncancerous (benign) bone tumors. They occur most often in young people between the ages of 10 and 20.
Cancers that start in the bones are called primary bone tumors. Bone cancers that start in another part of the body (such as the breast, lungs, or colon) are called secondary or metastatic bone tumors. They behave very differently from primary bone tumors.
Cancerous primary bone tumors include:
- Chondrosarcoma
- Ewing sarcoma
- Fibrosarcoma
- Osteosarcoma
Cancers that most often spread to the bone are cancers of the:
- Breast
- Kidney
- Lung
- Prostate
- Thyroid
These forms of cancer usually affect older people.
Bone cancer is more common in people who have a family history of cancers.
Symptoms of a bone tumor may include any of the following:
- Bone fracture, especially from slight injury (trauma)
- Bone pain, may be worse at night
- Occasionally a mass and swelling can be felt at the tumor site
Some benign tumors have no symptoms.
Some benign bone tumors go away on their own and do not need treatment. Your provider will closely monitor you. You will likely need regular imaging tests, such as x-rays, to see if the tumor shrinks or grows.
Surgery may be needed to remove the tumor in some cases.
Treatment for cancerous bone tumors that have spread from other parts of the body depends on where the cancer started. Radiation therapy may be given to prevent fractures or to relieve pain. Chemotherapy may be used to prevent fractures or the need for surgery or radiation.
Tumors that start in the bone are rare. After biopsy, a combination of chemotherapy and surgery is usually necessary. Radiation therapy may be needed before or after surgery.
Faculty Physicians And Surgeons Of Llusm
Chung-tsen Hsueh is a Hematologist Oncology specialist and an Oncologist in Loma Linda, California. Dr. Hsueh and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bone Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Bone Tumor, Liposarcoma, Familial Colorectal Cancer, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Bone Marrow Aspiration.
Faculty Physicians And Surgeons Of Llusm
Hamid Mirshahidi is an Oncologist and a Hematologist in Loma Linda, California. Dr. Mirshahidi and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bone Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Angiosarcoma, and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC).
The Oncology Institute Ca, A Professional Corporation
Muhammad Muslim is a Hematologist Oncology specialist and a Hematologist in Riverside, California. Dr. Muslim and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bone Tumor. His top areas of expertise are ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC), Large-Cell Lung Carcinoma, Lung Adenocarcinoma, and Bone Marrow Aspiration. Dr. Muslim is currently accepting new patients.
You can ease the stress of illness by joining a cancer support group. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.
How well you do depends on the type of bone tumor.
The outcome is usually good in people with noncancerous (benign) tumors. But some benign bone tumors can turn into cancer.
People with cancerous bone tumors that have not spread may be cured. The cure rate depends on the type of cancer, location, size, and other factors. Talk to your provider about your particular cancer.
Problems that may result from the tumor or treatment include:
- Pain
- Reduced function, depending on the tumor
- Side effects of chemotherapy
- Spread of the cancer to other nearby tissues (metastasis)
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of a bone tumor.
Background: Chordoma is a rare, slow growing, often fatal bone cancer derived from remnants of the embryonic notochord. It occurs mostly in the axial skeleton (skull base, vertebrae, sacrum and coccyx), is more frequent in males than females, and has a median age at diagnosis of 58.5 years, with a wide age range. This typically sporadic tumor is often advanced at presentation, and mortality is high due to loc...
Summary: The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the feasibility and clinical utility of radiomics to diagnose peri-lesion tumour infiltration of tumours in participants with a suspect of Bone Cancer Tumor or Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS). The main questions it aims to answer are: * is radiomics able to identify the ratio of participants truly diagnosed as positive to all those who had positive tes...
Published Date: March 31, 2024
Published By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 08/29/2024.
Heck RK, Toy PC. Malignant tumors of bone. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 27.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network website. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology (NCCN guidelines): Bone cancer. Version 1.2025. www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/bone.pdf. Updated August 20, 2024. Accessed August 29, 2024.
Toy PC, Heck RK. Benign bone tumors and nonneoplastic conditions simulating bone tumors. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 25.