Bone cancer is an uncommon cancer that begins in a bone. It can originate in any bone in the body, but the long bones that make up the arms and legs are most commonly affected. Several types of bone cancer exist. Some types of bone cancer occur primarily in children, while others affect mostly adults. Primary bone cancer is cancer that starts in the bone. In general, the term "bone cancer" does not include cancers that begin elsewhere in the body and spread (metastasize) to the bone. This is known as secondary bone cancer; it starts in another part of the body and then spreads to the bone. Unlike primary bone cancer, secondary bone cancer is common in cases of advanced cancer. Bone pain is the most common symptom of primary bone cancer. Primary bone cancer is a rare type of cancer and the cause of most cases is unknown. The four most common types of primary bone cancer are:1. osteosarcoma
2. Ewing sarcoma
3. chondrosarcoma
4. spindle cell sarcoma
Osteosarcoma: It is the most common type of bone cancer and mostly develops in children and young people who are between 5 to 20 years of age. It is the third most common cancer in young people (after leukemia and brain tumors). It usually develops in the femur or tibia.
Ewing sarcoma: It also usually develops in children and young people who are between 10 to 20 years of age, although 10 percent of cases develop in people who are over 20 years of age. Ewing sarcoma usually develops in the pelvis, thigh bone, or shin bone.
Chondrosarcoma: This uncommon type of bone cancer usually develops in adults who are between 40 to 50 years of age. Chondrosarcoma begins in the cartilage cells before spreading to the bone. The most common sites for chondrosarcoma to develop are in the pelvis, thigh bone, upper arm bone, shoulder blade, and ribs.
Spindle cell sarcoma: This uncommon type of cancer is very similar to osterosarcoma in terms of its symptoms and treatment, except that it affects older adults who are aged 40 or over.
There are some even rarer types of bone cancer:
Chordoma: It is a type of cancer that starts in the base of the spine and usually affects men between 40 to 50 years of age.
Angiosarcomas: It is a type of cancer than can start anywhere in the skeleton (sometimes in multiple sites at once) and usually affects adults who are 20 years of age or over.
Outlook
The most essential factor in determining the likely outlook for cases of bone cancer is whether the cancer has spread from the bone to other parts of the body (metastasis). The most common places in the body for the cancer to spread to are the lungs. Secondary lung cancer can be challenging to treat. If bone cancer is diagnosed before it spreads out of the bones, the outlook is positive because a cure is often achievable. This type of cancer is known as localized bone cancer. If the bone cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the outlook is not as favorable because a cure is often not possible. This type of bone cancer is known as metastatic bone cancer. Bone cancer is usually treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery.
