Guide To Bone Cancer Causes And Risk Factors

Osteochondroma And Chondroma

Individuals affected by either osteochondroma or chondroma are at an increased risk of developing cancer in their bone tissue. Multiple osteochondromas syndrome is a hereditary condition that produces numerous bumps on a patient's bone. These growths are formed out of abnormal cartilage and can cause the patient to experience fractures and deformities in their bones. This syndrome occurs as a result of a mutation in the EXT1, EXT3, or EXT2 gene. Multiple osteochondromas syndrome puts a patient at an increased risk of developing a form of bone cancer called chondrosarcoma. Chondroma describes a noncancerous tumor on the bone that develops from cartilaginous material. Chondromas occur most commonly on the small bones of an individual's feet and hands, but can also develop in their ribs, humerus, and femur. An individual affected by one or more chondromas is at an increased risk of developing bone cancer because there is more growth that provides a better opportunity for a cancer-causing mutation to occur.

Exposure To Radium Or Plutonium

An individual who has experienced occupational exposure to radium or plutonium for some time is at a higher risk of developing bone cancer than the rest of the population. When an individual is exposed to compounds such as radium or plutonium, it uses their lungs as a gateway into their circulatory system. Once in circulation, radium or plutonium is rapidly distributed throughout the body tissues. These compounds begin to deplete from the soft tissues first, making their way into an individual's stool for excretion. The concentration of radium and plutonium is then shifted into the hard tissues or bones. An affected individual's bones become the primary storage module for these compounds, much similar to the way calcium is stored in the bones. Upon long term exposure to high levels of radium or plutonium, the buildup of these compounds in the bone tissue causes the bone and its vessels to become damaged. This damage increases the likelihood a cancer-causing mutation occurs in the portion of the cellular DNA responsible for cell multiplication, growth, and apoptosis.