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If bone cancer spreads

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Cancer types
  4. Bone
  5. If cancer spreads
Print

Cancer cells can spread from the bone to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If bone cancer spreads, it can spread to:

  • the lungs – the most common place where bone cancer spreads
  • the brain
  • other bones

Bone cancer does not often spread to the lymph nodes around the tumour (regional lymph nodes).

Expert review and references

  • American Cancer Society. Bone Cancer. 2016.
  • Macmillan Cancer Support. Understanding Primary Bone Cancer. Macmillan Cancer Support; 2014.
  • O'Donnell RJ, Dubois SC, Hass-Kogan DA. Sarcomas of bone. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 91:1292–1313.
  • Samuel LC. Bone and soft-tissue sarcoma. Yarbro CH, Wujcik D, Holmes Gobel B (eds.). Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning; 2018: 46:1243-1277.

Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

We do our best to make sure that the information we provide is accurate and reliable but cannot guarantee that it is error-free or complete.

The Canadian Cancer Society is not responsible for the quality of the information or services provided by other organizations and mentioned on cancer.ca, nor do we endorse any service, product, treatment or therapy.

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