General Characteristics of Bone Tumours


General Characteristics of Bone Tumours

Age at Presentation

  • Metastases are the commonest malignant bone tumours in patients that are > 45 years of age (an atypical metastasis is more common in this age group than a classical primary malignant tumour)

    • Primary malignant bone tumours are rare before 5 years of age

    • 1 st decade: these are commonly disseminated bone lesions of leukaemia and neuroblastoma

    • 2 nd decade: it is usually an osteosarcoma or Ewing's sarcoma

Rate of Growth

Benign and low-grade malignant neoplasms

  • These tend to remain within the intramedullary cavity (until late) ▸ there is slow erosion of the endosteal cortex (leading to endosteal scalloping) ▸ periosteal new bone formation can lead to bone expansion and a well-defined sclerotic rim

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