Cancers Affecting the Bone

How is the disease diagnosed?

Primary bone cancer is often diagnosed after there has been an unexplained bone fracture. Or, an individual may complain of long-term bone pain. An X-ray will show a tumor on the bone. A bone lesion biopsy is done to remove a piece of tissue for examination under a microscope.

If a bone metastasis is suspected, a bone scan can show damage to a bone before a fracture occurs. It is not always necessary to take a sample of suspected bone metastasis to prove it is cancer. This is especially true if a person has active cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.