Types of Bone Cancers
Bone tumors can be divided into malignant and benign categories, and the malignant tumors are known as bone cancers. There are multiple kinds of true bone cancers, which are differentiated from cancers such as some leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma that might start in bone but are not considered bone cancers.
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Definition
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Primary bone cancer is any malignant tumor originating in any part of the bone. Most bone cancers are rare, accounting for less than 1 percent of all bone cancer cases, and of these, most cases are the result of other cancers spreading into the bones (metastatic cancer).
Osteosarcoma
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Osteosarcomas are the most common type of primary bone cancer. The tumors usually originate in the arms, knees, legs or pelvis. Osteosarcomas are most common in young adults and children.
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Chondrosarcoma
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A cancer of cartilage cells, chondrosarcomas often begin in the cartilage around the long bones such as arms or legs as well as in the pelvis and other cartilaginous areas of the bones.
Ewing's Sarcoma
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Also called Ewing sarcoma or Ewing tumor, this term refers to a group or family of tumors usually originating in the bone but can arise in soft tissues. The third-most common bone cancer, Ewing's sarcoma is rarely found in people older than age 30.
Soft-Tissue Sarcoma
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Soft-tissue sarcomas, including fibrosarcomas and malignant fibrous histiocytomas, usually affect middle-aged and older adults. These rare cancers arise in the soft tissues that surround the bone such as fat, ligaments and tendons, and muscle. The bones most frequently affected include the jaw, legs and arms.
Chordoma
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Most common in adults older than 30, chordomas are slow-growing tumors usually affecting the bones of the spine and at the base of the skull.
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