Bone Tumor Symptoms and Diagnosis
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.
Bone tumor symptoms
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.
Bone tumor diagnosis
If your doctor suspects that you have a bone tumor, he or she will:
- Ask for your medical and family history.
- Look at the area of concern, touching it to feel for any abnormalities and see if it is tender.
- Often order an x-ray, MRI, or CT scan to help decide whether you have a bone tumor and what kind.
Your doctor may also run other tests to make sure you don't have another condition that caused the tumor.
Bone tumor biopsy
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:
- Needle aspiration — involves inserting a needle through the skin, into the tumor, and removing a small piece through the needle.
- Surgical bone tumor biopsy — involves cutting open the skin to look at and take a sample of the tumor. After your bone tumor diagnosis, the surgeon who will be performing your surgery is the only one who should do this type of biopsy.
Learn more about bone tumor biopsies
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