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Bone Cancer

Bone Cancer Basics

Bone cancer is a sarcoma (cancerous tumor) that arises in the bone. The most common types of primary bone cancer are osteosarcomas, chondrosarcomas and the Ewing's family of tumors. There are about 2,500 new cases each year in the U. S., making primary bone cancer relatively rare. Osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma occur more frequently in children and adolescents; chondrosarcoma occurs more often in adults.

Secondary (or metastatic) bone cancer is cancer that spreads to the bone from another part of the body. This type of bone cancer occurs more commonly than primary bone cancer.

Symptoms of bone cancer can vary depending on the size and location of the tumor. Pain is the most common symptom, as well as swelling and tenderness (from a tumor in or near a joint) or difficulty with normal movement. Other symptoms may include fatigue, fever, weight loss and anemia.

This website includes news, information, links and resources for primary bone cancer patients.

Bone Cancer Treatments at M. D. Anderson

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Clinical Trials
Learn about our open bone cancer clinical trials by searching our online database.

Surgery is often the primary treatment for sarcoma, but radiation therapy and chemotherapy also play important roles. One or both may be recommended to shrink the tumor and make it operable, to spare a limb, to make a less extensive surgical procedure possible and/or to ensure microscopic cancer cells are destroyed.

Bone Cancer Education & Support
News & Articles

Drug Therapy to Bolster Immune System Cells Found Effective Toward Childhood Cancer

Sparing Life and Limb

Advances in Stem Cell Transplantation (Español)

Save a Life By Donation Stem Cells (Español)

New Agent May Thwart Bone Metastasis (Español)

Read More

Multimedia

Learn more about bone cancer from patients who have been there.

Osteosarcoma

video iconAdvances in the Treatment of Osteosarcoma

video iconGary Obert 5:25

video iconMickey Byrd 4:04

Ewing's Sarcoma

video iconAdvances in the Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcomas

video iconErica Plummer 4:30

video iconTami Barnes 3:54


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Links & Resources

NOTE: Pages will open in a new browser window. M. D. Anderson does not endorse external sites.

Cancerbackup - Primary Bone Cancer Information Centre

National Cancer Institute - Bone Cancer

bonetumor.org

American Cancer Society - All About Bone Cancer

   

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