Types of primary bone cancer

Primary bone cancer is a very rare type of cancer and fewer than 500 people are diagnosed with it in the UK each year. There are several different types of primary bone cancer and all of them are rare. If your cancer is not one of those described below, our nurses can give you information about it.

Osteosarcoma (also called osteogenic sarcoma)

This is the commonest type of primary bone cancer. In the UK, nearly a third of all primary bone cancers are osteosarcomas – approximately 150 people are diagnosed each year. Although it can occur at any age, osteosarcoma is most commonly found in teenagers and young adults, and is slightly more common in males. Any bone in the body can be affected but the most common sites are the upper arms (humerus), or the legs, particularly the lower thigh (femur) and the upper shin bone (tibia).

Ewing's sarcoma

Ewing's sarcoma is named after the surgeon who first described it. Again, this type of bone cancer is more common in young people than adults. Any bone can be affected, but the pelvis, thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia) are the most common places for it to occur. Like osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma is slightly more common in males than females. It is also possible to get a Ewing’s sarcoma in the soft tissues of the body. This is known as extraosseous Ewing’s sarcoma.

Chondrosarcoma

This is a cancer that starts in cartilage cells although it can also grow within a bone or on its surface. It is most commonly found in middle-aged adults. Chondrosarcoma is usually a slow-growing tumour. The most common sites are the pelvis, shoulder blade (scapula), ribs and the upper part of the arms (humerus) and legs (femur).

Spindle cell sarcoma

There are four types of spindle cell sarcoma: malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and undifferentiated sarcoma of the bone.

• Malignant fibrous histiocytoma This is a very rare type of bone cancer that occurs in middle-aged adults. It is usually found in the arms or legs, especially around the knee joint.
• Fibrosarcoma This type of bone cancer, which again is very rare, is also most often found in adults, particularly during middle age. The most common site is the thigh bone (femur).
• Leiomyosarcoma Leiomyosarcoma of the bone is very rare. It can occur in people of any age, but is extremely rare in people under 20 years of age. It occurs slightly more often in men than women, and is more common in the long bones of the body, such as the thigh bone (femur), shin bones (tibia) and bone of the upper arm (humerus).
• Undifferentiated sarcoma of the bone These tumours are made up of primitive cells and it isn’t possible to tell what type of normal bone cell they develop from.

Chordoma

This is an extremely rare cancer which starts in the bones of the spine, either in the sacrum (the bottom of the spine) or the neck. Chordomas are more common in men, and can occur at any age, although they are more common in people in their 40s and 50s. They tend to be slow-growing tumours.

Angiosarcoma

This is a rare type of primary bone cancer that occurs more commonly in men. It can occur in people of any age, but is very rare in people under 20 years of age. Angiosarcomas can affect any bone in the skeleton. They can affect more than one bone at the same time, or develop in more than one place in a single bone.