How to Diagnose a Bone Tumor

There are two main types of bone tumor, benign and malignant. Either can grow in the body's soft tissue (soft tissue tumors) or in the skeleton (bone tumors). Once your doctor finds a tumor, she must perform further tests to reach a diagnosis.

Instructions

• 1

  Give a complete medical history to your doctor including information on any family members who have had a benign or malignant bone tumor. Inform your physician of any injuries. Discuss your pain or any symptoms you may feel. Your doctor must also perform a physical examination.

• 2

  Have blood drawn for blood tests. Though a blood test alone cannot diagnose cancer, they can help identify different types of cancer or other conditions.

• 3

  Let your doctor take x-rays. This is usually the first step in diagnostic measures. Benign tumors can be evaluated by x-ray. Benign tumors usually heal on their own and pose little problem, although sometimes they can put pressure on nerves or damage the bone and in these cases surgery is required.

• 4

  Undergo a bone scan and a CT scan to ensure the cancerous cells have not metastasized to the lungs if there is any suspicion of malignancy. PET scans are often used in conjunction with CT scans to pinpoint the cancer location. Should the previous test suggest malignancy, your doctor may order a biopsy. In a biopsy a doctor removes a small part of the tumor and examines it or sends it to a lab for analysis.