Whole body

What It Is

A giant cell tumor of bone is a rare, usually noncancerous (benign) bone tumor. Although it is not considered cancer, it can behave aggressively by growing into and destroying nearby bone (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). Most giant cell tumors occur in people between 20 and 40 years of age, and they are uncommon in children or in adults older than 65. They affect approximately one person in every million each year (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

Giant Cell Tumor Anatomy

The giant cell tumor got its name from the way it looks under a microscope. Many large "giant" cells can be seen, which are formed when several individual cells fuse into a single, larger cell. Many bone tumors, and normal bone, contain giant cells. What makes a giant cell tumor different is that the giant cells sit within a background of abnormal cells, which are the true tumor cells (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

Most bone tumors start in the wider part of a long bone near its end, but giant cell tumors almost always develop at the very end of a long bone, the part that forms a joint, once the skeleton has finished growing. They most often occur around the knee joint, in the lower end of the femur (thigh bone) and the upper end of the tibia (shin bone). Other common locations are the hip, wrist, shoulder and the lower back. In rare cases, the tumor can spread to the lungs (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

Treatment of a Giant Cell Tumor

Without treatment, a giant cell tumor will continue to grow and damage the surrounding bone, so treatment by a specialist medical team is always needed (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). Massage therapy is not a treatment for this condition. Follow your medical team's own advice and instructions. With your medical team's okay, I can support your recovery around treatment, for example with stiffness, swelling and strength after surgery. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor, nurse practitioner or medical team

Options outside my scope

Surgery: this is the preferred and most effective treatment. Most often the surgeon scrapes the tumor out of the bone (curettage), may treat the cavity with chemicals to kill any remaining tumor cells, and then fills the hole with bone cement or a bone graft (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). Using bone cement is associated with a lower chance of the tumor coming back than using a bone graft (Zuo et al., 2013). Where the bone or joint is badly damaged, more complex surgery to rebuild the area may be needed.
Medication: denosumab is a prescription medicine that may be used to shrink a tumor before surgery, when surgery is not possible, or for tumors that come back (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Embolisation: a procedure that blocks off the blood vessels feeding the tumor, often done before surgery (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
Radiation therapy: used only in rare cases where surgery would be difficult, because it can cause cancer in some patients (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

Giant cell tumors can come back after treatment, so regular follow-up checks are important (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).

How I can help (see the My Approach tab)

Gentle work for the areas around the affected joint, with your team's okay
Scar care and easing stiffness after surgery
Rebuilding strength and movement at the pace your team sets

Tips

The exact cause of giant cell tumors is not known (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
These tumors aren't linked to diet, environmental factors or injury.
A giant cell tumor isn't inherited (passed down from a parent).
Most of the time, the first symptom patients notice is pain at the site of the tumor. Pain is often felt when a nearby joint moves.
Pain tends to get worse with activity and ease with rest. It tends to be mild at first, but becomes gradually worse. There may also be swelling, stiffness and reduced movement in the nearby joint (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.).
See your family doctor or nurse practitioner if you have bone or joint pain that keeps getting worse, or a lump or swelling near a joint.
The tumor can weaken the bone so that it breaks, causing sudden, severe pain (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.). If this happens, call 911 or go to the emergency room at your nearest hospital.

Treatment

My Approach

Massage doesn't treat this condition, but it can help with how you feel and move around your treatment, especially after surgery. Your medical team leads your care and decides what the bone and joint can handle. I work inside those limits, and I need their okay before any hands-on treatment, including after surgery.

Please bring any X-ray or scan reports and notes from your medical team to your first visit. They're an important part of planning safe treatment for you.

Around Your Treatment

I never work directly over the tumour or press on the affected bone, because it may be weaker than normal
Gentle work for the muscles around the area and the parts working harder to protect it, such as the other leg, back or shoulders, especially if you're on crutches
Breathing and relaxation to help with pain, stress and sleep

After Surgery, Once Your Team Allows

Gentle lymphatic drainage to help with swelling
Scar work once the wound has fully healed
Gentle movement of the nearby joint and the joints around it, within your team's limits, to ease stiffness
Strength and balance work, built up gradually at the pace your team sets
No heat over metal implants

If you get sudden, severe pain in the affected bone, call 911 or go to the emergency room (see Tips). New or worsening pain, or a lump near a joint, is worth reporting to your medical team, as these tumours can come back.

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: Once you're cleared after surgery, visits are usually once or twice a week at first, then weekly, then spaced out as you manage more at home, with a reassessment at about 4 to 6 weeks. Recovery after surgery usually takes a few months, and longer after a bigger operation to rebuild the bone or joint, following your surgical team's plan.

What I Focus On

Working Within Your Team's Limits

Compensation Relief

Swelling & Scar Care

Joint Mobility

Rebuilding Strength

Sources

References

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (n.d.) Giant cell tumor of bone. OrthoInfo. Available at: https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/diseases--conditions/giant-cell-tumor-of-bone/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Zuo, D. et al. (2013) 'Contemporary adjuvant polymethyl methacrylate cementation optimally limits recurrence in primary giant cell tumor of bone patients compared to bone grafting: a systematic review and meta-analysis', World Journal of Surgical Oncology, 11, 156. doi: 10.1186/1477-7819-11-156.

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooGiant Cell Tumor

What It Is

Giant Cell Tumor Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

Treatment of a Giant Cell Tumor

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor, nurse practitioner or medical team

Tips

My Approach

Around Your Treatment

After Surgery, Once Your Team Allows

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooGiant Cell Tumor

What It Is

Giant Cell Tumor Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

Treatment of a Giant Cell Tumor

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor, nurse practitioner or medical team

Tips

My Approach

Around Your Treatment

After Surgery, Once Your Team Allows

Typical Course

References

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Anterior Wedge Fracture to the Vertebra

Bone Tumor

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