Coping with BONE CANCER

Primary bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that begins in the bones

- Dr Gill Jenkins

Around 550 new cases occur in the UK annually. It’s a separate condition from much commoner secondary bone cancer, which is cancer that has spread to the bones from cancers in other tissues.

Bone cancer can affect any bone, but usually the long bones of the legs or upper arms.

Symptoms include persistent pain, as local tenderness or aching day and night, worsening over time; swelling and redness over a bone; and reduced mobility, especially if it involves a joint. A bony lump may occur, leading to weakening and fractures. Walking may be abnormal, with a limp. Rarely, fever, sweating and weight loss occur.

Get tested

See your GP, who will organise X-ray, CT and blood tests for bone minerals, including calcium and phosphate, as well as liver, kidney and blood-count tests, and refer you to a specialist.

Treatment depends on the type of bone cancer, of which there are several, including osteosarcoma – the commonest type, mostly affecting children/young adults under 20; Ewing sarcoma – most commonly affecting 10-20 year-olds; and chondrosarcoma – which usually affects adults over 40.

It’s not clear what causes bone cancer. It’s more common in young people, perhaps because rapid growth spurts during puberty may prompt abnormal cell growth.

You’re more at risk if you’ve had previous exposure to radiation during radiotherapy, if you’ve had Paget’s disease, Ollier disease, Li-Fraumeni syndrome or previous retinoblastoma. Curiously, Ewing sarcoma is three times more common if you have had an umbilical hernia.