Orthopaedic Oncology Conditions

Orthopaedic Oncology refers to the specialised field of diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant tumours, including bone and soft tissue sarcoma, as well as metastatic bone disease.

A tumour refers to an abnormal growth of tissue. Benign tumours do not have the ability to spread to other parts of the body. However, they may be locally aggressive, and cause damage to local tissues. Malignant tumours are cancers, and can spread to other parts of the body. A sarcoma is a very rare malignant tumour that arises from mesenchymal cells - it can occur in bone, soft tissue, nerves, cartilage, blood vessels or fat. Metastatic bone disease is a cancer than begins in an organ, such as a lung, and spreads to the bone. Each type of cancer has its own type of treatment and prognosis, and it is therefore important to differentiate between them and accurately diagnose the type of cancer someone may have, before initiating a plan of management.