Bone Tumor Quiz
Check your symptoms and
find possible causes with AI for free
Worried about your symptoms?
Start the Bone Tumor test with our free AI Symptom Checker.
This will help us personalize your assessment.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Low back pain
I have back pain
Have joint pain
Unintentional weight loss of more than 5% in one month
Leg pain
Pain in the lower back
Back pain
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is Bone Tumor?
Bone tumors occur when cells within a bone divide rapidly, resulting in a lump or mass (tumor). They can be cancerous or non-cancerous. Bone tumors can originate from the bone or be caused by another cancer that has spread to the bone.The exact cause for "primary" bone tumors (arising from the bone's own cells) is unknown. Possible risk factors include genetics, previous radiation therapy, bone traumas, anticancer medications, etc.
Typical Symptoms of Bone Tumor
- Weakness or paralysis on one side of your body
- Arm pain
- Unable to lie on the back due to pain
- History of cancer
- Lower back pain
- Redness in the affected area
- Back pain or discomfort
- Swelling in the affected area
Diagnostic Questions for Bone Tumor
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Do you have weakness or paralysis on one side of your body?
- Are you experiencing arm pain?
- Does lying on your back make the pain worse?
- Have you ever had cancer?
- Do you have lower back pain?
Treatment of Bone Tumor
Treatment depends on size, location, and whether the tumor arises from the bone itself or whether it is a cancer that has spread from another organ (metastatic). Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, cryosurgery, and targeted therapy are all methods for treating bone cancer.
Reviewed By:
Robin Schoenthaler, MD (Oncology)
Board certified radiation oncologist with over 30 years experience treating cancer patients. Senior physician advisor for expert medical options in adult oncology. Published award-winning essayist on medical and health issues and more.
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedics)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
Content updated on Mar 31, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Was this page helpful?
Tell your friends about us.
We would love to help them too.
Think you might have
Bone Tumor?
Try a symptom check testHow Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Bone Tumor quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Left arm pain
- Lower back pain gets worse when lying down
- Left shoulder pain
- Lying on back causes pain
- Pain from chest to arm
- Radiating pain from chest to left shoulder
- Back hurts lying in bed too long
- Chronic lower back pain
- Left hand pain
- Back pain worsens when lying down
- Shoulder stiffness
- Stiff left shoulder
- Pain in the lower back worsens when standing up
- Lying on my side hurts my back
- Tough to use left arm
See full list
Symptoms Related to Bone Tumor
Diseases Related to Bone Tumor
FAQs
Q.
How Many Bones in the Human Body? Why Yours Change & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Adults have 206 bones while babies have about 270, and the count changes as developing bones fuse, with occasional normal variations like accessory bones or extra ribs. For bone health and medically approved next steps, prioritize calcium and vitamin D, weight-bearing exercise, limiting alcohol, not smoking, and ask your clinician about bone density testing and urgent evaluation for red flags like persistent or night bone pain, swelling, or fractures from minor injury. There are several factors to consider; see below for detailed guidance, why your number can differ, and a symptom check for bone tumor that can inform your next steps.
References:
* Paul S, et al. Anatomy, Bone and Bones. StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532979/
* Karsdal M. A., et al. Skeletal development and growth in health and disease. Bone. 2021 May;146:115865. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.115865. Available from: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33636402/
* Khosla S, et al. Aging and bone remodeling: a comprehensive review. Endocr Rev. 2011 Dec;32(6):789-802. doi: 10.1210/er.2011-1002. Available from: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22003050/
* Compston J.E., et al. Osteoporosis: A Review of Treatment Options and the Future of Management. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2023 Feb;11(2):120-130. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00342-9. Available from: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36638706/
* Mangano K.M., et al. Nutritional and lifestyle interventions for bone health: a narrative review. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 1;15(7):1741. doi: 10.3390/nu15071741. Available from: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37050510/
Q.
Is it Bone Cancer? Why Your Bones Ache and Critical Medical Next Steps
A.
There are several factors to consider about bone pain and cancer risk. Most bone aches are not cancer, but deep pain that lasts more than 2 to 3 weeks, worsens at night, or comes with swelling, a growing lump, easy fractures, fever, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss should be checked by a doctor promptly. Next steps include tracking your symptoms, considering a reputable online symptom check, and seeing a clinician for an exam and imaging, with biopsy only if scans are suspicious; early evaluation improves outcomes. For key red flags, noncancer causes, and how diagnosis and treatment work, see the complete answer below.
References:
* Nalamachu S, et al. Evaluation and Management of Chronic Bone Pain: A Review. Pain Ther. 2021 Jun;10(1):1-14. doi: 10.1007/s40122-020-00222-7. PMID: 33132712; PMCID: PMC8093122.
* Agarwal M, et al. Primary Malignant Bone Tumors: A Review. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Mar 14;13(6):1093. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13061093. PMID: 36979685; PMCID: PMC10047326.
* Coleman RE, et al. Bone metastases. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020 Jan 9;6(1):8. doi: 10.1038/s41572-019-0144-6. PMID: 31915239; PMCID: PMC7047717.
* Khan M, et al. Approach to diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal pain. Postgrad Med J. 2020 Mar;96(1133):144-150. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2019-137258. PMID: 31915240; PMCID: PMC7090877.
* Kujawa AM, et al. Imaging in Bone Tumors: An Overview. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 May 10;13(10):1694. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13101694. PMID: 37238250; PMCID: PMC10218778.
Q.
Found a Lump on Your Skull? Why Your Skull is Changing & Medical Next Steps
A.
A lump on your skull is often a harmless cyst, lipoma, or slow-growing bony change like an osteoma, though shape changes can also follow injury, infection, Paget disease, hormonal disorders, or rarely tumors. There are several factors to consider; red flags include rapid growth, persistent pain, fever or redness, neurological symptoms, or a personal history of cancer. Start with a primary care visit and imaging if advised (CT for bone, MRI for soft tissue), seek urgent care for severe headache, weakness, confusion, vision changes, or seizures, and see below for the complete checklist of causes and step-by-step next moves that could change your care plan.
References:
* Jankowska M, Skórzewska P, Bednarek A. Lytic Lesions of the Skull: A Review of Differential Diagnoses and Diagnostic Strategies. Cureus. 2021 Dec 21;13(12):e20593. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20593. PMID: 34976785; PMCID: PMC8693710.
* Zuccarello M, Samaan MA, Zuccarello L, Zuccarello M, Al Homsi M, Chae S, Aljuboori Z. Calvarial Lesions: A Systematic Review of Etiology and Management. World Neurosurg. 2020 Aug;140:e405-e414. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.05.021. Epub 2020 May 9. PMID: 32479901.
* Chen M, Du S, Zhang X, Zhou C. Primary bone tumors of the calvaria: a systematic review. Neurosurg Rev. 2022 Dec;45(6):3211-3221. doi: 10.1007/s10143-022-01826-6. Epub 2022 Jun 27. PMID: 35764835.
* Kwan K, Braly S, Aoun SG, White JA, Tamrazi A. Metastatic skull lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosurg Rev. 2021 Aug;44(4):1877-1891. doi: 10.1007/s10143-021-01509-x. Epub 2021 Feb 26. PMID: 33634351.
* Pindrik J, Pradilla G, Garzon-Muvdi T, Gross N, Recinos PF, Hadelsberg J. Current concepts in the diagnosis and management of calvarial masses. Neurosurg Focus. 2018 Mar;44(3):E3. doi: 10.3171/2017.12.FOCUS17700. PMID: 29530467.
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
Ubie is recognized by healthcare and tech leaders
“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024
“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023
“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)
Which is the best Symptom Checker?
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Ahlawat S, McColl M, Morris CD, Fayad LM. Pelvic bone tumor resection: post-operative imaging. Skeletal Radiol. 2021 Jul;50(7):1303-1316. doi: 10.1007/s00256-020-03703-6. Epub 2021 Jan 5. PMID: 33399942.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00256-020-03703-6McColl M, Fayad LM, Morris C, Ahlawat S. Pelvic bone tumor resection: what a radiologist needs to know. Skeletal Radiol. 2020 Jul;49(7):1023-1036. doi: 10.1007/s00256-020-03395-y. Epub 2020 Feb 19. PMID: 32072185.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00256-020-03395-yOrtho Info: Bone Tumor - American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/bone-tumor/Treatment of Bone Tumors
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.path.2011.07.015