Bone Cancer Risk Factors

The causes of bone cancer are not well known; there, however, are a number of factors suspected in its development:  

Radiation - radiation therapy, especially when it is used excessively at young age, may increase the risk of developing bone cancer. The cancer can be observed several years after the radiation sessions.  

Chemotherapy - some chemotherapy drugs used to treat other tumoral diseases can contribute to the occurrence of bone cancer.  

Sex and race - Ewing's sarcoma (a form of bone cancer) is more common in boys; it is also more common among whites than blacks.  

Age - myeloma is more common in adults between 50 and 80 years old, while Ewing's sarcoma is more common in children aged between 10 and 15.  

Inherited diseases - studies have shown that some forms of bone cancer may be the result of inherited disorders such as ollier's disease, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, fibrous dysplasia of bone, constitutional bone fragility (also called osteogenesis imperfecta) and retinoblastoma. 

          Causes                                                                            Symptoms