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Bone cancer can begin in any bone in the body, but it most commonly affects the pelvis or the long bones in the upper or lower limbs.
Bone cancer may start as an ache that doesn′t go away. It may get worse by exercise or at night when the muscles are relaxed. In children, this symptom may be mistaken for a sprain or ′growing pains′.
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It seems worse at night because:
- Levels of the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol are naturally lower at night;
- Staying still in one position might cause joints to stiffen up
It can be difficult to differentiate between bone and muscle pain, because they affect similar parts of the body. The pain may also be similar in intensity. However, in general, bone pain feels sharper, deeper, and more debilitating than muscle pain.