Bone cancer

Causes of bone cancer

Cancer occurs when the cells in a certain area of your body divide and multiply too rapidly. This produces a lump of tissue known as a tumour.

The exact reason why this happens is often not known, but certain things can increase your chance of developing the condition, including:

previous Radiotherapy treatment
otherbone conditions, such as Pagets disease of the bone
rare genetic conditions, such asLi-Fraumeni syndrome
a history ofcertainotherconditions, including retinoblastoma and umbilical hernia

These risk factors are described in more detail below.

Radiotherapy treatment

Previous exposure to high doses of radiation during Radiotherapy may cause cancerous changes in your bone cells at a later stage, although this risk is thought to be small.

Bone conditions

Some non-cancerous (benign) conditions affecting the bones may increase your chances of developing bone cancer, although the risk is still small.

In particular, a condition called Pagets disease of the bone can increase the risk of bone cancer in people over 50-60 years of age.

Rarer conditions that cause tumours to grow in your bones, such as Ollier's disease, can also increase your risk of bone cancer.

Genetic conditions

A rare genetic condition calledLi-Fraumeni syndrome can increase your risk of developing bone cancer, as well as several other types of cancer.

People with this condition have a faulty version of a gene that usually helps stop the growth of tumours in the body.

Other conditions

People who had a rare type of eye cancer called retinoblastoma as a child may be more likely to develop bone cancer, because the same inherited faulty gene can be responsible for both conditions.

Research has also found that babies born with an umbilical hernia are three times more likely to develop a type of bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma , although the risk is stillvery small.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 4 Jan 2017

Articles for bone cancer

Introduction

Primary bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that begins in the bones. Around 550 new cases are diagnosed each year in the UK. This is a separate condition from secondary bone cancer, which is cancer that spreads to the bones after developing in another part of the body.

Symptoms of bone cancer

Bone pain is the most common symptom of bone cancer. Some people also experience swelling and redness (inflammation) or notice a lump on or around the affected bone. If the bone is near a joint, the swelling may make it difficult to use the joint.

Causes of bone cancer

Cancer occurs when the cells in a certain area of your body divide and multiply too rapidly. This produces a lump of tissue known as a tumour. The exact reason why this happens is often not known, but certain things can increase your chance of developing the condition

Diagnosing bone cancer

If you're experiencing bone pain, your GP will ask about your symptoms and examine the affected area, before deciding whether you need to have any further tests. After being examined, you may be referred for an X-ray of the affected area to look for any problems in the bones.

Treating bone cancer

Treatment for bone cancer depends on the type of bone cancer you have, how far it has spread and your general health. The main treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Your treatment should be managed by a specialist centre with experience in treating bone cancer.

Patient story: "It never crossed my mind that I might not survive."

Carol Starkey, from Bromsgrove, Worcs, was diagnosed with bone cancer in her shoulder just three weeks after she started university. Her advice is to not get discouraged by the treatment. The first few weeks of chemotherapy are the worst. After that, it gets better.

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