Primary Malignancies of Bone

Description: Malignant bone tumours are commonest at the age, when growth is greatest, the growth-spurt of puberty. The commonest location is around the knee, a location where the neighbouring bones are increasing their length relatively faster than anywhere else. Clinicians are advised to have a high index of suspicion. The presenting feature is pain in hip or knee, the site of the tumour isn't always that location suggested by the pain. The swelling from the tumour may be palpable. As with all diagnosis, it is best not to arrive at your answer too soon. Emotion aside, signal theory tells us that relatively more information is required to change an opinion than to form one. Malignant tumours can display features that the textbooks say indicate benign new-growth. Crusty old clinicians remind us that nature doesn't read the textbook. Simply, benign tumours don't breach their microscopic boundaries and malignant tumours do.