Most of the time when someone with cancer is told they have cancer in the bones, the doctor is talking about cancer that has spread to the bones from somewhere else. This is called metastatic cancer. It can be seen in many different types of advanced cancer, like breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.
A primary or "true" bone cancer starts in bone or in the nearby tissues such as muscle, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, fat tissue and others. Other kinds of cancers that are sometimes called “bone cancers” start in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow − not in the bone itself. Other cancers that may develop in bones are Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and multiple myelomas.
Most people with bone cancers do not have any apparent risk factors. A very small number of bone cancers appear to be hereditary and are caused by mutations in certain genes. Bones that have been exposed to ionizing radiation may also have a higher risk of developing bone cancer. A typical x-ray of a bone is not dangerous, but exposure to large doses of radiation does pose a risk. For example, radiation therapy to treat cancer can cause a new cancer to develop in one of the bones in the treatment area.
Summa Health Orthopedic Institute has one of only seven orthopedic oncologists practicing in the state of Ohio. Scott D. Weiner, M.D., is a bone cancer specialist who excels in the diagnosis and treatment of primary benign and malignant tumors of the bones.
Dr. Weiner treats metastatic cancer (usually in the elderly), bone sarcomas (mostly in children, adolescents and young adults), soft tissue sarcomas, spine tumors and benign tumors (across all age groups).
Depending on the type and stage of your condition, your bone cancer treatment options may vary.
The main types of treatment for bone cancer are:
