Bone cancer (also known as bone sarcoma) develops when the cells of the bone and cartilage grow in an uncontrolled or abnormal way. It can begin in any bone in the body.
It is different from secondary (or metastatic) bone cancer which refers to a cancer that has started somewhere else in the body and has spread to the bones.
Bone cancer is rare in adults and is more commonly seen in children, adolescents and young adults.
The most common types of bone sarcoma are:
- Osteosarcoma – which affects cells that grow bone tissue
- Chondrosarcoma – which grows in the cartilage. This type of bone sarcoma is more common in adults.
- Ewing’s Sarcoma – which grows in the bones or in the soft tissue around the bones
