Bone cancer is caused by abnormal development of the cells in the bones and is much more frequent in children or teenagers than in adults, but still very rare. Males are slightly more likely to develop bone cancer than females. There are many different types of bone cancer. The most common bone tumours include osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma, and chordoma.

The most common type of malignant bone tumour is osteosarcoma, which usually occurs in male patients aged between 10 and 25, but can also affect older individuals. Most commonly it develops in arm and leg bones where the bones grow most rapidly, usually knees and shoulder. Osteosarcoma is very dangerous, since it tends to spread to other areas of the body, including lungs.

Usually the first and most common symptom is pain, which gets more severe as the condition develops. Sometimes lumps can be felt on the bone or in the muscles surrounding the bone. When the tumour has spread to other parts of the body, fever, sweating, and weight loss may occur.

Contrary to a popular belief, injuries to the bones cannot cause cancer. The main risk factors for developing bone cancer are exposure to radiation, certain chemotherapy drugs as well as non-cancerous bone diseases and genetic factors.

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