Bone Cancer Symptom Guide

Swelling And Tenderness

Bone cancer may manifest in the form of swelling and tenderness in the area where the cancerous tumor is growing. Tenderness and swelling can be the result of one or more factors in bone cancer. When any cancer develops in the body, the immune system naturally deploys its defense mechanisms to fight off the cancerous cells. These defense mechanisms are what causes inflammation of the tissue around the tumor, or the swelling and redness. In addition, swelling and tenderness can occur because of where the growing tumor is located within the skeleton. A tumor that develops in the bones of or around the body's major joints can become sore and swollen due to regular use of the joint. When the bones that make up the joints cannot move normally and smoothly against each other because of a large mass, the tissues in the region will become irritated and may even incur damage. Damaged tissue stimulates the same immune system defense mechanisms for tissue repair that result in swelling, pain, and redness. Furthermore, the tumor itself may appear as swollen tissue on the exterior of the body before it manifests as a solid mass or lump in the affected area.