Doctors want more research into the disease

Osteosarcoma affects 550 people in the UK each year, most of them teenagers. Just 54% of those who contract the disease are alive five years later.

While survival rates for other cancers have improved in recent years, rates for osteosarcoma have stood still.

"There is an urgent need for new treatments to be developed," said Dr Robert Grimer, from Birmingham's Royal Orthopaedic Hospital.

Diagnosis delays

One of the problems faced by doctors is trying to diagnose the disease early enough.

"The symptoms are very non-specific and delays in diagnosis are common," said Dr Grimer.

Treatments have not improved for the past 20 years Dr Robert Grimer

"This is a problem because if the tumour has had time to spread to other parts of the body, it is very difficult to treat successfully.

"GPs need to be aware of this and to refer patients immediately for further investigation if they have symptoms such as pain and swelling of bone or in the area of a bone."

Dr Grimer will tell the Teenage Cancer Trust's third international conference on cancer that more research is needed into the disease.

"Treatments have not improved for the past 20 years," he said.

"It's a sad fact that while survival rates for other cancers have been improving, they have remained static for so long for osteosarcoma."

Most of those diagnosed with bone cancer are in their teens or early 20s. It affects boys more than girls.