Bone Tumors

Diagnosing Bone Tumors in Children

Signs & Symptoms of Bone Tumors

Some symptoms of childhood bone tumors include swelling and soreness around the tumor site, pain that worsens with exercise and/or at night and low-grade fever. Malignant bone tumors can spread through the blood to other parts of the body.

Testing & Evaluations

If your child has a possible bone tumor, Nemours’ experienced cancer care team works together to appropriately diagnose and stage the disease through a variety of tests and procedures, including:

• thorough physical examination and medical history
• blood tests 
• medical imaging (X-ray, MRI, PET scan, MIBG scan, bone scan)
• diagnostic biopsy (via surgery or minimally invasive interventional radiology)
• bone marrow biopsy and aspiration (biopsy of the solid and liquid parts of bone marrow)

Treating & Caring for Children With Bone Tumors

Your Child's Comprehensive Bone Tumors Care Team

If we discover a bone tumor, our multidisciplinary (collaborative) team plans the most effective treatment personalized to your child’s needs. 

In addition to an experienced, compassionate cancer coordinator (a nurse who provides your child and family support, education and care coordination), Nemours’ pediatric bone tumor cancer teams include: 

• oncologists (cancer specialists)
• surgeons (general and orthopedic surgeons)
• orthopedists (bone specialists)
• orthopedic oncologists (orthopedic cancer specialists)
• pathologists (diagnose diseases by examining body tissues, fluids and organs)
• geneticists (perform genetic counseling and testing)
• radiologists (diagnose diseases through medical imaging)
• radiation oncologists (specialists in radiation therapy treatment)
• interventional radiologists (perform image-guided minimally invasive procedures)
• behavioral health specialists (psychologists and psychiatrists)
• registered dietitians (nutrition specialists)
• oncology nurses (registered nurses specializing in cancer)  

Your care team is here to provide your family with ongoing support and follow-up. We always include you in the entire process, because we truly believe in the healing power of families and that you know your child best.

Learn More About Nemours’ Pediatric Cancer Care Teams in Your Area »

Innovative Childhood Bone Tumors Treatment at Nemours

Treating bone tumors in children depends on age, tumor type and size, and location. Until fairly recently, amputation was the only option for malignant pediatric bone tumors affecting the limbs. But in many cases, specialized surgical techniques and advances in research allow us to save a child’s limbs, often using growing metal prostheses to replace the cancer-affected bone. 

Nemours offers advanced and innovative childhood cancer treatments and approaches (called “modalities”) not available at other children’s hospitals.

We may use one or a combination of modalities that include:

• surgery (removal of a portion or all of a tumor) 
• chemotherapy (cancer-killing medicines)
• radiation therapy (external beam, brachytherapy)
• proton therapy (advanced radiation therapy)
• immunotherapy (stimulating the immune system to destroy or reject tumors)
• targeted drug therapies (targets genetic abnormalities)
• blood and bone marrow transplant (BBMT, BMT or stem cell transplant)

For your child’s overall health and wellness, we also prescribe:

• physical medicine and rehabilitation services 
• pain management services
• palliative care (to manage physical symptoms resulting from the disease or surgery)
• integrative medicine (massage, aqua therapy, biofeedback, yoga, meditation and more)

Limb-Sparing Procedures

Our orthopedic surgeons are experienced in limb-sparing procedures that effectively remove even the most difficult tumors.

They also provide the following services:

• reconstruction (replacing tissue and using a prosthetic — an artificial extension that replaces a missing body part, such as an arm or a leg)
• prosthetic fabrication and fitting (provided on-site for children who need amputation)
• rehabilitation after limb-sparing surgery and amputation

Learn More About Pediatric Cancer Treatment at Nemours »

Additional Resources & Support for Families

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