ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the effect of neoplastic disease, that is, disease characterised by an uncontrolled proliferation of cells, on the human skeleton. Neoplastic disease may be primary or secondary, depending on whether it originates from the skeletal tissue itself or in other parts of the body and metastasises to the skeleton. Depending on its nature and progression, it may also be categorised as benign or malignant. This chapter first covers benign bone tumours, then it presents primary malignant bone tumours and metastatic bone disease. Finally, lesions of undefined or nonneoplastic nature, often categorised together with neoplastic disease in the literature, are outlined.
