Bone tumor
A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from a cancer in another part of the body such as from lung, breast, thyroid, kidney and prostate. There may be a lump, pain, or neurological signs from pressure. A bone tumor might present with a pathologic fracture. Other symptoms may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, anemia and nausea. Sometimes there are no symptoms and the tumour is found when investigating another problem.
| Bone tumor | |
|---|---|
| Non-ossifying fibroma of tibia | |
| Specialty | Orthopedics |
| Symptoms | Lump, pain, neurological signs, unexplained broken bone, fatigue, fever, weight loss, anemia and nausea. Sometimes no symptoms |
| Types | Noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant) |
| Diagnostic method | Medical imaging, biopsy |
| Prognosis | Varies with type |
| Frequency | Common |
Diagnosis is generally by X-ray and other radiological tests such as CT scan, MRI, PET scan and bone scintigraphy. Blood tests might include a complete blood count, inflammatory markers, serum electrophoresis, PSA, kidney function and liver function. Urine may be tested for Bence Jones protein. For confirmation of diagnosis, a biopsy for histological evaluation might be required.
The most common bone tumor is a non-ossifying fibroma. Average five-year survival in the United States after being diagnosed with bone and joint cancer is 67%. The earliest known bone tumor was an osteosarcoma in a foot bone discovered in South Africa, between 1.6 and 1.8 million years ago.