Osteosarcoma, also called osteogenic sarcoma, is the most common form of primary bone cancer. Osteosarcoma is a disease that is thought not to be transmittable from person to person, but it is thought that genetic changes can be inherited that can put a person at greater risk. It is a cancerous disease that forms in the bones and can spread to other areas and organs in the body. Osteosarcoma is more common in adolescents who are experiencing growth spurts. No one has found a direct cause of this disease, but many believe it is related to the rapid growth rate of larger bones. This cancerous disease may be treatable and treatment plans are available. The areas of the body affected by osteosarcoma are the bones. It can occur in any bone, but is more common in large bones in areas that have a rapid growth rate. The most common locations where osteosarcoma occurs are the tibia next to the knee, the thigh next to the knee, the upper arm near the shoulder, and the hip. Cancerous bone disease can also spread to any organ and spread throughout the body. The most common organ to which osteosarcoma spreads is the lungs. Osteosarcoma can affect anyone, but is more common in adolescents. The risk of osteosarcoma is greater when adolescents go through a period of high growth because it is linked to rapid bone growth. Children who are tall for their age are also at a higher risk of developing this bone disease due to rapid bone growth. Osteosarcoma is more likely to occur in males than females because males tend to grow more, but females tend to develop this disease earlier than males because they usually reach their growth spurt or puberty earlier. Osteosarcoma tends to affect the African American population more than… middle of paper… The Hudson Group Inc. The Volume Library. First ed. vol. 1. Nashville: Southwestern/Great American Inc., 2007. 63-65. 3 vols. Print.Janeway, Katherine and Megan Anderson. Osteosarcoma. Boston Children's Hospital, 2010. Web. September 14, 2013. Treatment of osteosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, August 27, 2013. Web. September 14, 2013. Parker, Steve, and Robert Winston. The book of the human body. First ed. New York: DK Publishing, 2007. 48-49. Print.PubMed Health. Ed. David Zieve, David R. Eltz, Stephanie Slon and Nissi Wang. US National Library of Health, 17 November 2012. Web. 14 September. 2013. .