Osteosarcoma and Ewing’s Sarcoma are the two most common forms of bone cancer in children.
Symptoms of bone cancer may include:
Pain in a bone (most common symptom)
Stiffness, swelling or tenderness around a bone or joint
Interference with normal movements
Weak bones, leading to fractures
Fatigue, fever, weight loss and anemia
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer and is usually found in bones around the knee. The second most common site is in the ends of the upper arm bone close to the shoulder, and can also be found in the pelvis, shoulder, and skull.
Osteosarcoma is usually treated with surgery and multi-agent chemotherapy. It’s very important, however, that patients are evaluated by an orthopedic oncologist familiar with the surgical management of osteosarcoma.
Ewing’s Family of Tumours (EFTs)
Ewing’s is the second most common form of bone cancer in children and, while it can present in any bone in the body, is most common in the pelvis, thigh, lower leg, upper arm and rib.
The Ewing’s Family of Tumours include:
Ewing’s tumour of bone, or Ewing’s sarcoma of bone
Extraosseous Ewing’s (tumour outside of the bone)
Primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET)
Askin’s tumour (PNET of the chest wall).
Treatment may include multi-agent chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or surgical removal of the primary tumour. Consultation with radiologists, chemotherapists, pathologists, surgeons or orthopedic oncologists, and radiation oncologists is necessary.
