Bone tumors

Alternative names:

tumor - bone

Definition:

An abnormal growth of cells within the bone that may be benign or malignant (cancerous).

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The cause of bone tumors is unknown. They may arise in areas of rapid growth. Other theories site heredity, trauma, and radiation as other possible causes.

Bone tumors may be benign or malignant. Osteochondromas are the most common benign bone tumors and occur most often in people between the ages of 10 and 20. Some benign bone tumors regress on their own and do not require treatment. These benign tumors are monitored periodically by X-ray.

Malignant bone tumors occur as a primary bone tumor, or as metastasis, cancer spread from another area of the body. Primary bone tumors are rare (less than 1% of all malignant tumors) and are more common in young men. Malignant bone tumors include osteosarcomas, Ewing's sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and chondrosarcoma. Metastatic lesions to the bone usually arise from cancer of the breast, lung, prostate, kidney, and thyroid. These forms of cancer usually affects older people.

Bone cancer was prevalent among individuals who painted radium on watch faces (to produce glow-in-the-dark dials), a practice that was abandoned at mid-century. The painter would 'tip' the brush with their tongue (in order to produce fine work) and absorb minute amounts of radium which deposited in the bone and caused cancer. The incidence of bone cancer is also increased in families with a history of familial retinoblastoma. The incidence of bone cancer in children is approximately 5 cases per million children each year.