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Although it is rare for an osteochondroma to change into a cancerous tumor, it is possible. In adults, a thick covering of cartilage over the tumor is one sign of such a change. A tumor in an adult patient should be checked for cancer if it is enlarging or has become painful.
Can an osteochondroma turn into a tumor?
Solitary Osteochondroma. Solitary osteochondromas are thought to be the most common benign bone tumor, accounting for 35% to 40% of all benign bone tumors. A benign bone tumor is not cancer and does not spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
What percentage of osteochondromas are benign?
Osteochondroma has two different clinical forms: as a solitary lesion or as part of a numerous overgrowth called multiple osteochondromas or hereditary multiple exostoses (HME). This is the most common type of benign bone tumor, occurring in 85% of cases reported.
What are the different types of osteochondromas?
Changes in blood flow resulting from an osteochondroma are rare. In some cases, an injury can cause the stalk of a pedunculated osteochondroma to break. This will cause immediate pain and swelling in the area of the tumor.
What are the complications of osteochondromas?
How do I know if my osteochondroma is cancerous?
How would you know if osteochondroma turned cancerous?The tumor is causing unexplained pain.The tumor has continued to grow after the skeleton has stopped growing.The cap of the tumor is more than 1.5 cm thick in a fully grown patient.
How often do osteochondroma become cancerous?
The child should continue to be seen by a doctor, since a very small number of osteochondromas (1 percent) can develop into cancerous (malignant) tumors. In the rare circumstance that this occurs, it is almost always in adulthood and is usually notable for growth in size of a lump or pain in a previously painless lump.
What is the percentage of malignant transformation of osteochondroma?
Malignant transformation is seen in 1% of solitary osteochondromas and in 3%–5% of patients with HME. Continued lesion growth and a hyaline cartilage cap greater than 1.5 cm in thickness, after skeletal maturity, suggest malignant transformation.
Is osteochondroma malignant?
Osteochondromas are benign lesions that do not affect life expectancy. However, the risk of malignant transformation (to secondary chondrosarcoma) should be taken onto consideration, especially in cases of multiple exostoses.
Should I worry about osteochondroma?
Should I be Worried? It is rare for osteochondromas to require extensive treatment and surgery and even more rare for the benign bone tumors to become cancerous. Your child's orthopedic specialist will walk you through the next steps and work with you and your child to monitor the tumor's growth.
Do osteochondromas need to be removed?
These bone tumors are diagnosed by X-ray. Children with an osteochondroma should be seen regularly by an orthopaedic doctor because in very rare instances, this benign tumor can turn cancerous. Most of the time, an osteochondroma does not require surgery. If the tumor causes pain, it can be removed by surgery.
Can an osteochondroma be misdiagnosed?
In the current case, no initial biopsy was performed, leading to a misdiagnosis of osteochondroma. Consequently, the patient received an inappropriate treatment while appropriate treatment was delayed. Misdiagnosis can have dire consequences and this error could have been avoided if greater care was taken.
How rare is an osteochondroma?
The incidence of hereditary multiple osteochondromas is estimated to be 1 in 50,000 individuals. This condition occurs more frequently in some isolated populations: the incidence is approximately 1 in 1,000 in the Chamorro population of Guam and 1 in 77 in the Ojibway Indian population of Manitoba, Canada.
What do you do if you have osteochondroma?
Treatment for osteochondroma is generally a simple surgical removal of the lesion from the bone surface. The surgeon will be careful not to harm your child's growth plate to ensure normal physical development after the operation.
How does osteochondroma affect the body?
Most often, it affects the long bones in the leg, pelvis, or shoulder blade. The exact cause of osteochondroma is not known. Symptoms may include a hard, painless growth on a bone that doesn't move, short height for age, muscle soreness, and a leg or arm that is longer than the other.
What causes osteochondroma in adults?
Osteochondroma is an overgrowth of cartilage and bone at the end of the bone near the growth plate. It affects males and females equally. Most often, it affects the long bones in the leg, pelvis, or shoulder blade. The exact cause of osteochondroma is not known.
How is osteochondroma removed?
To completely remove an osteochondroma, the doctor will perform a surgical procedure called excision. In this procedure, the tumor will be removed at the level of the normal bone. How long it takes to return to daily activities will vary depending on the tumor's size and location.
How often are bone tumors cancerous?
Most bone tumors are benign (not cancerous), but a few are cancerous. Known as primary bone cancers, these are quite rare, accounting for less than 0.2 percent of all cancers.
How often does osteosarcoma spread?
Metastatic osteosarcoma About 1 out of 5 osteosarcomas have spread already when they are first diagnosed. These cancers are harder to treat, but some can be cured if the metastases can be removed by surgery. The cure rate for these cancers improves markedly if chemotherapy is also given.
What percentage of people have osteochondroma?
Hereditary multiple exostoses usually present during childhood. Yet, the vast majority of affected individuals become clinically manifest by the time they reach adolescence. Osteochondromas occur in 3% of the general population and represent 35% of all benign tumors and 8% of all bone tumors.
Can you live a long life after osteosarcoma?
For rates for some of the other more common types of bone cancer, see Survival Rates for Osteosarcoma or Survival Rates for Ewing Tumors....Chordoma.SEER stage5-year relative survival rateRegional85%Distant61%All SEER stages combined79%1 more row•Mar 3, 2022
What causes osteochondroma?
While the exact cause of osteochondroma is not known. There is one type that is inherited and one type that is not inherited.
How to treat osteochondromas?
Treatment may include: Surgery to remove the mass. Medicines to control pain. If there is no sign of bone weakening or increased overgrowth, your healthcare provider may want to watch it over time.
What is the term for overgrowth of cartilage and bone at the end of the bone near the growth plate?
Osteochondroma is an overgrowth of cartilage and bone at the end of the bone near the growth plate. It affects males and females equally. Most often, it affects the long bones in the leg, pelvis, or shoulder blade. The exact cause of osteochondroma is not known.
What is osteochondroma in the leg?
What is osteochondroma? Osteochondroma is an overgrowth of cartilage and bone that happens at the end of the bone near the growth plate. Most often, it affects the long bones in the leg, the pelvis, or the shoulder blade. Osteochondroma is the most common noncancerous bone growth. It most often occurs between ages 10 and 30.
Can osteochondroma cause soreness?
Soreness of the nearby muscles. Often, people with osteochondroma will have no symptoms at all. When they do happen, symptoms of osteochondroma may look like other medical problems. Always talk with your doctor for a diagnosis.
What is the name of the cancer that is caused by osteochondroma?
When an osteochondroma becomes cancerous, it most commonly changes into a cancer called chondrosarcoma.
Why is osteochondroma not preventable?
Because the cause of a solitary osteochondroma is unknown, doctors have not been able to find a way to prevent it.
What are the signs of a bone tumor?
Symptoms and signs of a tumor becoming cancerous are: Growth of an osteochondroma after puberty. Pain at the site of an osteochondroma.
How to tell if a tumor is cancerous?
Symptoms and signs of a tumor becoming cancerous are: 1 Growth of an osteochondroma after puberty 2 Pain at the site of an osteochondroma 3 A cartilage cap thicker than 2 cm
What is a bump in the shoulder?
A painless bump near the joints. The knee and shoulder are most often involved. Pain with activity. An osteochondroma can be located under a tendon (the tough, fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone). When it is, the tendon may move and "snap" over the bony tumor, causing pain. Numbness or tingling.
When does osteochondroma stop growing?
Once a child has reached skeletal maturity, the osteochondroma typically stops growing, too. In most cases of osteochondroma, no treatment is required other than regular monitoring of the tumor to identify any changes or complications.
How to treat solitary osteochondroma?
In most cases of solitary osteochondroma, treatment consists of careful observation over time. Your doctor may want to take regular x-rays to keep track of any changes in the tumor.
