BACKGROUND: There are two types of bone cancer: primary bone cancer and secondary bone cancer. Primary bone cancer occurs when cancerous tumors form inside the bones. Types of primary bone cancer include osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and chondrosarcoma. Secondary bone cancer is caused by cancer that originates in another part of the body (such as the prostate, lung or breast) and spreads to the bone. Approximately 2,370 cases of bone and joint cancer are diagnosed each year.

WHO IS AT RISK FOR BONE CANCER? Bone cancer most frequently occurs in children and young adults. It is also common in people who have had chemotherapy or radiation for other conditions. Adults who suffer from Paget's disease, a condition caused by abnormal development of new bone cells, may also be at increased risk for a form of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma. Research has also shown heredity may play a role in predicting who is at risk for bone cancer, as people with hereditary retinoblasta (a rare cancer of the eye) are also at risk for developing osteosarcoma.

SYMPTOMS OF BONE CANCER: Pain is the most common symptom of bone cancer, as tumors that occur near joints can cause swelling and tenderness. Frequent fractures are also characteristic of bone cancer, along with fatigue, fever, weight loss and anemia.

TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS: Treatments for bone cancer can vary based on the size, location, stage, and type of bone cancer. Age and general health of the bone cancer patient may also dictate appropriate treatments. Amputation, or removal of the affected limb, is the most common treatment for bone cancer, but pre-operative chemotherapy can help doctors spare as much of the limb as possible. In fact, surgeons can sometimes avoid extensive amputation by removing only the cancerous portion of the bone and replacing it with a prosthesis.

NEW TREATMENT: Kristine Weber, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and oncologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., is one of the only doctors in the world who performs an alternative surgery for people suffering from bone cancer. The new surgery requires doctors to remove bone containing a growth plate from a patient's leg and connect it to the formerly cancer-stricken bone. Dr. Weber says the problem with using prosthetics as opposed to real bone is the prosthetics won't grow with young patients who are generally at risk for bone cancer, while real bones will.