When to seek medical advice

Talk to your doctor if you develop signs or symptoms that may indicate bone cancer, such as unexplained bone pain. Having bone pain doesn't necessarily mean you have bone cancer. Bone pain is more commonly due to injuries or arthritis. And bone tumors are often noncancerous (benign). However, the only way to determine whether a tumor is cancerous or not is for a doctor to examine a sample of the tissue.

Screening and diagnosis

If your doctor suspects you have bone cancer, he or she will take a medical history and perform a physical exam. Imaging tests, such as X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), enable your doctor to see and evaluate the area of concern. Your doctor may also request a bone scan, a procedure in which you're injected with a tiny amount of radioactive material, called a tracer, which can be detected by a special camera used to create images of your bones.
Determining whether a tumor is malignant requires removal of a sample of tissue (biopsy) from the tumor for examination. If your doctor suspects you have bone cancer, ask for a referral to a cancer doctor (oncologist) who specializes in bone cancer before the biopsy is performed.