Symptoms

People with bone cancer may experience the following symptoms. Sometimes, people with bone cancer do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not cancer. If you are concerned about a symptom described below, please talk with your doctor.

When a bone tumor grows, it compresses normal tissue and destroys bone tissue, which can cause symptoms. The earliest symptoms of bone cancer are pain and swelling in the area of the tumor. The pain may come and go at first, then become more severe and steady later. The pain may worsen with movement, and there may be swelling in the soft tissue nearby. A tumor that occurs near or in joints may cause the joint to swell and become tender or stiff, which means a person may experience a limited and painful range of movement.

A pronounced limp (if the leg is affected) or a fracture (break) in the affected bone are symptoms of more advanced bone cancer. Rarely, symptoms such as fever, malaise (feeling unwell), weight loss, and anemia (low red blood cell level) occur with bone cancer.