What is bone cancer?

Bone cancer refers to the neoplastic or abnormal growth of tissues in the bone. When a doctor tells someone that he/she is ailing from bone cancer, the doctor is referring to a cancer that has spread to the bones from other parts of the body. The type of cancer, which has spread from its breeding point, is referred to as metastatic cancer. Bone cancer can either be malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous). Types of Bone cancer Bone cancer may be classified into primary and secondary bone cancer. Primary bone cancers are those that occur in the bone or from bone-derived tissues and cells. Secondary bone cancer is the type of cancer that occurs in other parts of the body and slowly spreads to the skeleton. Secondary bone cancers are about 50 to 100 times more common than primary bone cancers. Primary Bone Cancers The primary bone cancers can either be benign tumours or cancers. Some of the most common benign bone tumours may be developmental, neoplastic, infectious, traumatic or inflammatory. Some of the primary bone cancers include osteoid osteoma, osteoma, osteochondroma, enchondroma, osteochondroma, giant cell tumour of the bone, fibrous dysplasia of bone and aneurysmal bone cyst. Some of the examples of malignant primary bone tumours include chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma and others. Secondary Bone Cancers Secondary bone cancers or tumours are metastatic lesions that spread from other organs to the bone. Some of the most common secondary tumours include the carcinomas of the lung, breast and prostate. Symptoms of Bone Cancer The symptoms of bone cancer depend on the type of bone cancer. Pain is one of the first symptoms of bone cancer. Bone cancer commonly occurs in the long bones of the body such as that of the legs and arms. Therefore, pain in any part of the arms or legs may be a symptom of bone tumour. It is important to remember that all cancers or tumours are not cancerous. Pain in the bones is usually associated with an injury and not necessarily a cancer. Some other symptoms of bone cancer include:

• Fractures due to weakness of the bone.
• Joint inflammation or tenderness.

Some of the non-specific symptoms that may indicate a type of bone cancer include unintentional weight loss, fever, anaemia, fatigue and other symptoms that may otherwise be concluded to be that of a medical condition not as severe as a cancer.