Main causes of bone cancer
It's not known what causes most primary bone cancers.
Some types of bone cancers are more common in certain age groups.
For example:
- Ewing sarcoma is more common in children and teenagers, but it can also affect adults
- osteosarcoma often affects children and teenagers (10 to 19 years)
- chondrosarcoma tends to affect adults aged 30 to 60 years
You're also more likely to get bone cancer if:
- you've had radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment for cancer in the past, particularly during childhood
- you have an inherited condition like hereditary retinoblastoma, Li-Fraumeni syndrome or Werner syndrome
- you have another bone condition, such as Paget's disease of bone or a non-cancerous (benign) bone tumour