When ‘growing pains’ could be bone cancer
Most teenage knee pain is harmless, but persistent or unusual pain should never be ignored. An orthopaedic cancer specialist explains when parents should seek medical attention.
KNEE pain is common among active teenagers and is often dismissed as a sports injury or "growing pains". Most cases are harmless. But when pain persists, worsens or behaves unusually, it could signal a more serious condition, including osteosarcoma.
Osteosarcoma is an aggressive bone cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents. About 75% of cases occur before the age of 25, with an incidence of around 4.4 cases per million people annually. Because it commonly develops around the knee, it is often mistaken for a sports injury, delaying diagnosis.
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This is a brief of a report by another newsroom. The excerpt below is from the original.
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About this story
- Source
- Focus Malaysia
- Originally published
- Aug 27, 2026
- Updated here
- Aug 28, 2026
- Produced by
- Malaysia Times desk (brief) — reporting by the source
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