Types of bone cancer

About different types of bone cancer

Primary bone cancer is a cancer that starts in a bone. It is sometimes called a bone sarcoma. This is different from secondary bone cancer. This is cancer that has spread to the bone, from a cancer elsewhere in the body.

Primary bone cancer is rare. About 550 people are diagnosed with it in the UK each year. It can affect people of any age. It is slightly more common in men than women. We have information about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of primary bone cancer.

There are different types of primary bone cancer.

Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common types of primary bone cancer. It can affect people of any age, but it is most common in teenagers and young adults.

Osteosarcoma can affect any bone, but it is most likely to develop in the:

upper arm (humerus)
shin bone (tibia)
thigh bone (femur), close to the knee.

Chondrosarcoma

is another common type of primary bone cancer. It is usually slow-growing. Chondrosarcoma is most common in people aged over 40. It is rare in people younger than 20. Chondrosarcoma starts in . It can grow inside a bone or on the surface of a bone.

Chondrosarcoma is another common type of primary bone cancer. It is usually slow-growing. Chondrosarcoma is most common in people aged over 40. It is rare in people younger than 20.Chondrosarcoma starts in cartilage cells. It can grow inside a bone or on the surface of a bone. The most common places for it to develop are the:

upper arm (humerus)
thigh (femur)
pelvis
shoulder blade (scapula)
ribs.

It can also develop in other bones, such as the spine.

Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma is named after the doctor who first described it. It is more common in teenagers and young adults, but it can affect people of any age.

Ewing sarcoma can affect any bone, but the most common places are the:

pelvis
thigh (femur)
shin bone (tibia)
ribs
shoulder blade (scapula).

Sometimes Ewing sarcoma can start in the soft tissues of the body. This is called extraosseous Ewing sarcoma. Extra means outside, osseous means bone. It can also be called soft tissue Ewing sarcoma. It is often treated in the same way as Ewing sarcoma that starts in the bone.

Chordoma

This is a rare cancer. It can affect people of any age, but it is more common in people over the age of 40.

Chordoma is usually slow-growing. It starts in the bones:

in the spine
at the bottom of the skull.

Rarer types of bone cancer

There are other types of primary bone cancer. These are much rarer. They include:

giant cell tumour
adamantinoma.

It can be hard to get information about the rarer types of sarcoma. Your cancer doctor and specialist nurse will give you more information and answer any questions you have. Cancer52 is an organisation that works to improve the quality of life for people with rare cancers.

You can also talk to the nurses on the Macmillan Support Line by calling 0808 808 00 00

About our information

References

Below is a sample of the sources used in our information about primary bone cancer. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam@macmillan.org.uk

European Society for Medical Oncology, ESMO. 2021. Bone sarcomas: ESMOeEURACANeGENTURISeERN PaedCan Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Annals of Oncology. S. J. Strauss1 et al. Available at: https://www.esmo.org/guidelines/guidelines-by-topic/sarcoma-and-gist/bone-sarcomas (accessed July 2023)

UK guidelines for the management of bone sarcomas, Clinical Sarcoma Research (2016) 6:7. Gerrand C et al on behalf of the British Sarcoma Group. Available at: UK guidelines for the management of bone sarcomas - PMC (nih.gov)(accessed July 2023)

British Medical Journal, BMJ Best Practice. Osteosarcoma. Last updated May 2022. Last reviewed 27 Jun 2023. Available at: Osteosarcoma - Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment | BMJ Best Practice (accessed July 2023)

Reviewers

This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer. It has been approved by senior medical editor Fiona Cowie, Consultant Clinical Oncologist.

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