Evaluation and treatment of bone tumors.

The family physician will rarely see patients with bone tumors; however, when bone tumors do arise, they can be devastating as they unfortunately occur in young patients and are among the most malignant of lesions. The diagnosis of a bone tumor should be suspected if there is deep aching pain, a mass, or a pathological fracture. X-ray films usually lead to the diagnosis and help distinguish malignant from benign lesions. benign tumors are relatively small, do not break out of the bone, and leave the cortex intact and the soft tissue uninvolved. Malignant tumors are large, break out of the bone, and involve the soft tissues. In general, benign tumors are treated with biopsy, local excision, or curettage with bone grafting. Malignant tumors require much more extensive surgery including wide radical excision (probably amputation), chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy as indicated.