Pain in the affected bone is the most common complaint of patients with bone cancer. At first, the pain is not constant and may be worse at night or when the bone is used (example is leg pain when walking). As the cancer grows, the pain will be there all the time. The pain increases with activity and may result in a limp if a leg is involved.

Swelling in the area of the pain may not occur until weeks later. Depending on the location of the tumor, it may be possible to feel a lump or mass.

Fractures: Although bone cancer may weaken the bone it develops in, the bones do not usually fracture. People with a fracture next to or through a bone cancer usually describe a limb that was sore for a few months and suddenly became severely painful.

Generalized symptoms: If the cancer has spread, you may have generalized symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue.

However, symptoms may vary depending on the location and size of the cancer. Tumors that occur in or near joints may cause swelling or tenderness in the affected area.

The treatment options for bone cancer

Various forms of cancer treatments using surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy for bone cancer are being tested in clinical trials.

Clinical trials are a critical step in the development of new methods of treatment. Before any new treatment can be recommended for general use, doctors conduct clinical trials to find out whether the treatment is safe for patients and effective against the disease.

Treatment options depend on the type, size, location, and stage of the cancer, as well as the person’s age and general health.

Although amputation of a limb is sometimes necessary, pre- or post-operative chemotherapy has made limb-sparing surgery possible in many cases.

When appropriate, surgeons avoid amputation by removing only the cancerous section of the bone and replacing it with an artificial device called a prosthesis.

However, a biopsy—the removal of a sample of tissue from the bone tumor—is needed to determine whether cancer is present

The possible risk factors for bone cancer

Although scientists are not certain what causes bone cancer, a number of factors may put a person at increased risk.

These cancers occur more frequently in children and young adults, particularly those who have had radiation or chemotherapy treatments for other conditions.

Adults with a noncancerous condition such as characterized by abnormal development of new bone cells, may be at increased risk for osteosarcoma.

A small number of bone cancers are due to heredity. For example, children with hereditary retinoblastoma (an uncommon cancer of the eye) are at a higher risk of developing osteosarcoma.