To request an appointment or for additional information, please call 866-987-6784 or submit a form online.
Bone tumors form when your bone tissue cells divide too quickly. These abnormal growths cause a mass of tissue to form within your bone.
Primary bone tumors form in the bone itself. Secondary bone tumors are those that begin in another part of the body and spread to the bone.
Most bone tumors are benign, or not cancerous.
Malignant (cancerous) bone tumors can spread to other parts of your body. Other types of cancer can sometimes spread to your bones, too.
There are no known risk factors for benign bone tumors. Their cause is unknown.
Possible causes of malignant bone tumors may include:
Many people who have bone tumors do not know that they have them.
Doctors may notice these types of tumors during an x-ray for another health reason.
Some people do have any symptoms of a benign (noncancerous) bone tumor. The most common symptom is dull but constant pain around the site of the tumor.
Other people may simply notice a bump or knot under their skin.
If your doctor suspects that you have a bone tumor, he or she will:
Your doctor may also run other tests to make sure you don't have another condition that caused the tumor.
If your doctor needs to explore the tumor further, you may need to have a biopsy of the tumor.
Doctors can biopsy bone tumors two ways:
From our Health Library:
If you have a benign (noncancerous) bone tumor, your doctor may want to monitor it. Some tumors of this type never cause problems. Some can even go away without treatment, especially in children.
If your doctor thinks the tumor could cause a broken bone — or if it already has — you may need surgery to remove the growth and fix the bone. Surgeons in the musculoskeletal oncology program at UPMC Orthopaedic Care will fully evaluate you before they fix a broken bone.
Treatment of malignant (cancerous) bone tumors is more complex because your doctor will need to determine whether the cancer is only in the bone.
Malignant bone tumors can require many different treatments, such as:
Your doctor will choose treatment based on your diagnosis, as well as the bone tumors size, location, and stage of development.
From our Health Library:
Your health information, right at your fingertips. Select MyUPMC to access your UPMC health information. For patients of UPMC-affiliated doctors in Central Pa, select UPMC Central Pa Portal. Patients of UPMC Cole should select the UPMC Cole Connect Patient Portal.
The portal for all UPMC patients EXCEPT those in Central Pa.
The portal for UPMC patients in Central Pa.
The portal for UPMC Cole patients receiving inpatient care.
