Print OverviewBone cancer can begin in any bone in the body, but it most commonly affects the pelvis or the long bones in the arms and legs. Bone cancer is rare, making up less than 1 percent of all cancers. In fact, noncancerous bone tumors are much more common than cancerous ones. The term "bone cancer" doesn't include cancers that begin elsewhere in the body and spread (metastasize) to the bone. Instead, those cancers are named for where they began, such as breast cancer that has metastasized to the bone. Some types of bone cancer occur primarily in children, while others affect mostly adults. Surgical removal is the most common treatment, but chemotherapy and radiation therapy also may be utilized. The decision to use surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy is based on the type of bone cancer being treated.Products & ServicesA Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th EditionNewsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital EditionShow more products from Mayo Clinic Types Chondrosarcoma Ewing sarcoma Osteosarcoma SymptomsSigns and symptoms of bone cancer include: Bone pain Swelling and tenderness near the affected area Weakened bone, leading to fracture Fatigue Unintended weight loss When to see a doctorMake an appointment with your doctor if you or your child develops bone pain that: Comes and goes Becomes worse at night Isn't helped by over-the-counter pain relievers Request an appointment There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get Mayo Clinic cancer expertise delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive an in-depth guide to coping with cancer, plus helpful information on how to get a second opinion. You can unsubscribe at any time. Click here for an email preview. I would like to learn more about Up-to-date cancer news & research Mayo Clinic cancer care & management options ErrorSelect a topic Email address ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest about cancer news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry CausesThe cause of most bone cancers is unknown. A small number of bone cancers have been linked to hereditary factors, while others are related to previous radiation exposure. Types of bone cancer Osteosarcoma Enlarge image Close Osteosarcoma Osteosarcoma Osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer, often starts in the long bones — the legs or the arms — but it can occur in any bone. Bone cancers are broken down into separate types based on the type of cell where the cancer began. The most common types of bone cancer include: Osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer. In this tumor, the cancerous cells produce bone. This variety of bone cancer occurs most often in children and young adults, in the bones of the leg or arm. In rare circumstances, osteosarcomas can arise outside of bones (extraskeletal osteosarcomas). Chondrosarcoma. Chondrosarcoma is the second most common form of bone cancer. In this tumor, the cancerous cells produce cartilage. Chondrosarcoma usually occurs in the pelvis, legs or arms in middle-aged and older adults. Ewing sarcoma. Ewing sarcoma tumors most commonly arise in the pelvis, legs or arms of children and young adults. Risk factorsIt's not clear what causes bone cancer, but doctors have found certain factors are associated with an increased risk, including: Inherited genetic syndromes. Certain rare genetic syndromes passed through families increase the risk of bone cancer, including Li-Fraumeni syndrome and hereditary retinoblastoma. Paget's disease of bone. Most commonly occurring in older adults, Paget's disease of bone can increase the risk of bone cancer developing later. Radiation therapy for cancer. Exposure to large doses of radiation, such as those given during radiation therapy for cancer, increases the risk of bone cancer in the future. By Mayo Clinic Staff Bone cancer care at Mayo Clinic Request an appointment Diagnosis & treatment May 11, 2023 Print Living with bone cancer? Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Cancer support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community. Cancer Discussions Emotional health after cancer: How are you doing really? 206 Replies Wed, Sep 27, 2023 chevron-right Want to connect with kidney cancer patients 76 Replies Tue, Sep 26, 2023 chevron-right Leiomyosarcoma: What can I expect now? 33 Replies Wed, Sep 20, 2023 chevron-right See more discussions Show references Bone cancer. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/types/bone/bone-fact-sheet. Accessed Dec. 26, 2017. Bone cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed Dec. 28, 2017. Goldman L, et al., eds. Malignant tumors of bone, sarcomas and other soft tissue neoplasms. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 25th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Dec. 26, 2017. Questions and answers about bone cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/phase2/mbone.pdf. Accessed Dec. 26, 2017. Ferri FF. Bone tumor, primary malignant. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2018. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Dec. 26, 2017. Kliegman RM, et al. Neoplasms of bone. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 20th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Dec. 27, 2017. Azar FM, et al. Malignant tumors of bone. In: Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2017. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Dec. 27, 2017. Hornicek FJ. Bone sarcomas: Preoperative evaluation, histologic classification and principles of surgical management. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Dec. 27, 2017. Amin MB, et al., eds. Bone. In: AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: Springer; 2017. Rose PS (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 6, 2018. Taking time: Support for people with cancer. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/taking-time. Accessed Feb. 6, 2018. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, Minn. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/extramural/cancercenters/find-a-cancer-center/mayoclinic. Accessed Jan. 23, 2018. COG research collaborations. Children's Oncology Group. https://childrensoncologygroup.org/index.php/research-collaborations. Accessed Jan. 23, 2018. Related Osteosarcoma Associated Procedures Bone scan Chemotherapy CT scan MRI Needle biopsy Positron emission tomography scan Radiation therapy X-ray Show more associated procedures News from Mayo Clinic Expert Alert: Proton beam therapy for bone cancer spares surrounding tissue July 13, 2022, 04:00 p.m. CDT 39 years after amputation, a new procedure is helping Mary Shalz walk comfortably March 14, 2022, 04:17 p.m. CDT Products & Services A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition Show more products and services from Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about this top honor Bone cancerSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departmentsCare atMayoClinic Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. 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There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get Mayo Clinic cancer expertise delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive an in-depth guide to coping with cancer, plus helpful information on how to get a second opinion. You can unsubscribe at any time. Click here for an email preview. I would like to learn more about Up-to-date cancer news & research Mayo Clinic cancer care & management options ErrorSelect a topic Email address ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest about cancer news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry