A sarcoma is a rare and complex cancer that begins in the bone, cartilage or connective tissue such as muscle, fat, nerves, tendons, lining of joints, lymph vessels or blood vessels.
A sarcoma is a rare and complex cancer that begins in the bone, cartilage or connective tissue such as muscle, fat, nerves, tendons, lining of joints, lymph vessels or blood vessels.
Sarcoma occurs when abnormal cells in these types of tissue grow in an uncontrolled way. It can develop in any part of the body.
There are two main types of sarcomas, depending on which type of tissue the sarcoma starts in:
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:
The most common symptom of bone sarcoma is a pain in the bones and joints. It may be worse at night or during activity.
Other symptoms can include:
Whilst these symptoms may be due to other causes besides bone cancer, it is always important to see your doctor.
It is not known what causes bone sarcoma, however there are some factors which are thought to increase the risk for developing bone sarcoma:
