Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

Cancer that is discovered in bones can either represent cancer which has spread from a distant site (i.e., breast, prostate, lung) or can be a cancer which originates in bone (sarcoma). Cancers which spread to bone represent 98% of all bone cancers. Cancers that start in the bone are rare. Only about 2,000 new cases of primary bone cancers (as opposed to cancers that spread to the bone from other areas) are diagnosed in the United States each year. Approximately 5,000 to 6,000 new cancers in the soft tissues of the body are diagnosed annually.

Primary bone cancers (sarcomas) tend to be more common in children and adolescents than in adults. Most adults with a bone cancer have cancer that has spread to the bone from its primary site, such as the breast, lung or prostate. Less commonly, the bone cancer will have actually originated from the bone itself.

Sarcomas in children

Bone and soft tissue sarcomas, particularly osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcomas most often occur in children. Their symptoms and treatment may differ in some ways from the same sarcoma occurring in an adult. Read more about pediatric tumors.

Common types of bone cancers (sarcomas)

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Chondrosarcoma

This is a cancer of the cartilage although can also grow within a bone or on its surface. It is most typically found in middle-aged adults. Chondrosarcoma is usually a slow-growing tumor and the most common sites are the pelvis, shoulder and the upper part of the arms and legs.

The treatment for chondrosarcomas relies heavily on surgical removal, since there is limited response to radiation and/or chemotherapy. One of the reasons for aggressive treatment is that 10% of low-grade tumors have been reported to develop a much more aggressive biologic behavior, a process called dedifferentiation.

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Fibrosarcoma

This type of bone cancer is also most commonly found in adults, particularly during middle age. A typical site is the thigh bone.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma

This is a very rare type of bone cancer that occurs in adults. It is usually found in the arms and legs, especially around the knee joint.

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Content development for the Bone & Soft Tissue Cancers (Sarcomas) section was supported by the Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Fund.