Primary Bone Tumors: Patterns and Factors Associated With Malignancy Potential

Introduction: Malignant bone tumors, also known as primary bone cancers, arise from the bone itself or the surrounding tissues. Understanding their biological nature and associated factors is crucial for early detection, effective treatment, and improved patient outcomes. To the best of our literature review there is no study which investigated factors associated with malignant biological nature of the bone tumor in southeastern region of Ethiopia. Objective: The study aimed to assess the Patterns and factors associated With Malignancy Potential of Primary Bone Tumors. Methods: A 6-year retrospective institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted to review bone biopsy medical records recorded at the pathology department of Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HUCSH), using 173 study participants; Logistic regressions were conducted to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI for the association between the independent variables and the malignant biological nature of the bone tumor. Results: The most common affected age groups were those in the second and third decades of life, accounting for 39.9% and 30.6% of cases, respectively. Age range of 20-49 years (AOR=0.192; 95% CI: 0.047-0.778), male gender (AOR=3.806; 95% CI: 1.490-9.725), duration of clinical presentation 0-6 months (AOR=43.09; 95% CI: 38.72-47.38), and duration of clinical presentation 7-12 months (AOR=36.20; 95% CI: 32.73-41.37) showed significant association with malignant bone tumor. Conclusion: Intermediate and malignant tumors were less common than benign bone cancers. Males were more likely to have malignant tumors, but females were more likely to have benign tumors. The most prevalent malignant tumor was osteosarcoma, which was followed by Ewing sarcoma. Adolescence and adulthood are the age groups most commonly affected by bone cancers. These have a big impact on the economy and are the backbone of society. Malignant bone tumors were associated with with age (20–49 years), male sex, and duration of clinical presentation after 0–6 months, and 6–12 months of symptom onset.