Bone Cancer Subtypes
Ewing sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a rare and highly malignant tumor that can basically occur anywhere in the body: 85% start in the bone, 15% in soft tissue. About 3 in one million patients under the age of 15 and only 2,4 in one million above the age of 15 are affected by Ewing sarcoma in the Caucasian population; in other ethnicities the tumor is even less frequent. Ewing sarcoma is a disease that affects children, adolescents and young adults. Boys and men are affected a little more often than girls and women (1,5:1).
Read more about Ewings, its signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up here.
Sarcoma UK has developed a comprehensive overview of bone sarcoma subtypes:
Chondrosarcoma is a bone sarcoma that develops in the cartilage cells. It mostly affects adults above the age of 40 and the most common sites are the upper arm, pelvis and thigh bone. They make up 37% of all bone sarcoma diagnoses.
Chordoma makes up only 6% of all bone sarcoma diagnoses and most commonly affects adults in their 40’s and 50’s.
Giant cell tumours (GCT) are benign (non-cancerous) tumours that develop in the bone. They mostly occur in the long bones found in the arms and legs. They are always found at the end of the bone next to the joint.
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone sarcoma mostly diagnosed in teenagers and young people; however, it can also affect older adults. It mostly affects the knee, thigh bone, shin bone or upper arm. They make up 30% of all bone sarcoma diagnoses.