Bone tumors

Mary Bridge Children’s offers convenient, personalized care for bone tumors, which occur rarely in children. While cancer is a word nobody wants to hear, parents should know that children tend to have high cure rates.

Types of pediatric bone tumors

The most common types of bone tumors in children and young adults are osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.

• Osteosarcoma. Approximately 400 children in the United States are diagnosed with osteosarcoma every year. Symptoms may include bone pain, swelling and impaired joint motion.
• Ewing sarcoma. Only about 200 children nationwide are diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma each year. Symptoms may include swelling and soreness, low fever and bone pain that worsens with activity.

Bone tumor diagnosis

If your child’s doctor suspects a bone tumor, they will likely recommend a combination of tests and imaging studies that include:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI uses radio waves and powerful magnets to create detailed images of your child’s brain. During the MRI, your child will need to lie on a table that slides into a tunnel-shaped machine.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan. This procedure uses X-rays to generate images of the brain, requiring your child to lie on a table that slides through a large doughnut-shaped machine.
• Biopsy. Diagnosis may require a biopsy for further examination. Doctors remove a tissue sample to examine under a microscope. Our doctors choose needle biopsies rather than more invasive surgical techniques whenever possible. During a needle biopsy, a doctor uses a single needle rather than open surgery to remove a tissue sample for lab analysis.
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan. A PET scan is a test used to detect tumors in bones and other tissues. Specialists inject a substance containing low levels of radiation. The cancer cells absorb the substance so they show up on images. Your child must lie on a small table in the PET scanner while radiologists take images.

Bone tumor treatment

Your child’s treatment will depend on a number of factors such as tumor type, size and location. Treatments may include:

• Surgery. When possible, pediatric cancer specialists use surgery to remove bone tumors. Our specialists will do everything possible to minimize the amount of bone and tissue removed.
• Chemotherapy. This treatment uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Doctors may prescribe chemotherapy before surgery to shrink tumors, or after surgery to prevent the cancer from coming back (recurring).
• Radiation therapy. During radiation therapy, high-energy radiation beams target and destroy cancer cells. Our radiation oncologists use the most advanced technology available to minimize tissue damage and protect your child’s growing body.