Primary bone and soft tissue tumours in the geriatric population

Primary bone and soft tissue tumours are rare in the general population. While bone malignancies in the geriatric age group are most often due to metastases or multiple myeloma, primary tumours can occur. These are treated with surgical resection and occasionally chemotherapy. Soft tissue sarcomas are more common and are usually treated with a combination of radiation and surgery. The outcome of treatment for bone sarcomas is poorer in the geriatric age group, but this is not true of soft tissue sarcomas. Patients with both primary bone and soft tissue malignancies should be referred to regional cancer centres for management.