Five bone cancer warning signs revealed following death of Strictly star Len Goodman
Bone cancer, while rare, kills hundreds each year in the UK and thousands more in the US.
The disease can strike at any age and cause fatigue, broken bones, and difficulty walking.
Each year, about 600 Britons and nearly 4,000 Americans are diagnosed with bone cancer.
Nearly 400 people die from the disease each year in Britain.
Here MailOnline reveals the warning signs of bone cancer after the death of Dancing with the Stars judge and Strictly Come Dancing leded Len Goodman, who passed away over the weekend after battling bone cancer.
Bone cancer can cause a number of health problems before it is detected, including bone pain, movement problems, bone fractures, fever, and fatigue
Dancing With The Stars judge Len Goodman (pictured during his last performance in November 2022) died aged 78 in hospice on Saturday, days before his 79th birthday
Len Goodman featured on the 2014 UK version (pictured here in 2010)
Bone pain
Persistent bone pain is one of the most common symptoms of bone cancer.
Starting as a feeling of tenderness in the affected bone, it can gradually progress to a persistent or intermittent pain, according to the NHS.
This pain often persists at night and at rest and may feel worse during exercise.
It usually develops in the long bones of the legs or upper arms, but can also develop in any bone in the body.
In children, this symptom is often mistaken for growing pains or a sprain, according to cancer charity Macmillan.
The NHS adds that some adults also often mistake the pain for arthritis.
If you have unexplained bone pain, see your primary care doctor to get it checked out, experts say.
Problems moving
Having trouble moving or walking with a limp is another common sign of bone cancer, according to Cancer Research.
This is because the cancer can affect a joint, which can then limit movement in the limbs, says Macmillan.
You may also walk with a limp if the affected bone is in the legs.
But Macmillan explains that this limited movement isn’t just caused by a tumor in the bones.
It can also be caused by a tumor in the spine that can press on nerves.
This is known as spinal cord compression and can cause numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or legs.
Bone cancer can cause pain and movement problems. This can be caused by a tumor on a joint that makes it difficult to move or by weakened and broken bones
Broken bones
Bone cancer can also cause fractures in some cases.
Called pathologic fractures, these can be caused by the cancer weakening the structure of the bone itself.
This can cause the bone to break suddenly and without any warning, says Macmillan.
The fracture can also occur from what is normally considered a minor fall or minor accident.
A high temperature
Another less common symptom of bone cancer is a high temperature.
Cancer Research UK says heavy sweating, especially at night, can also be a sign of cancer.
Sweating can be caused by a variety of changes the body undergoes as a result of cancer, hormone changes, or infection, for example.
Feeling feverish and sweating is another sign of bone cancer, experts say
Fatigue
Feeling more tired than usual despite a good night’s sleep is another possible sign of bone cancer.
This fatigue can be caused by the physical bone pain that makes people feel exhausted.
The chemical and hormonal changes caused by cancer itself may also play a role in causing fatigue.
This is partly why people with advanced cancer are more likely to experience worsening fatigue.
This may be because more advanced versions of the disease cause more of these changes in the body, making a person feel increasingly fatigued.
A person with cancer may also feel tired as a general result of, for example, being unwell, eating less, being less active or taking medication to relieve symptoms.