Bone and Soft Tissue Oncology Program

Osteosarcoma

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Risk Factors

Osteosarcoma affects about four in one million people in the United States every year. It generally strikes adolescents. The average age of diagnosis is 15. Osteosarcoma is more common in males than in females. In fact, it occurs nearly twice as often in boys, particularly in the later years of adolescence.

No one knows exactly what causes osteosarcoma, but certain risk factors for the cancer have been identified. Teens who are tall for their age and experience spurts of rapid growth seem to be more vulnerable to osteosarcoma than other teens.

Also, young people who have been treated with radiation for an earlier, childhood cancer may be at a higher risk for developing osteosarcoma later on in their lives. This seems to be particularly true for children who receive high doses of radiation.

Another osteosarcoma risk factor is having a noncancerous or benign bone disease such as Paget's disease or multiple, hereditary osteochondromas. These are usually not life threatening or serious conditions, but they can be precursors to osteosarcoma. Similarly, children with rare, inherited cancers such as the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome and Retinoblastoma may be at an increased risk of developing osteosarcoma.

When osteosarcoma is diagnosed in adults, it seems to be related to lifestyle factors such as high-fat diets, lack of exercise, smoking and drinking alcohol.


This page was last updated on: March 4, 2008.