The causes of most malignant bone tumours is not known. However, there are some osteogenic sarcomas that occur in patients who have the inherited form of retinoblastoma, for whom the possession of the Rb gene (in the genotype) predisposes to this condition; indeed, for those patients who have received radiotherapy to treat the retinoblastoma, the risk is even greater.
Patients with longstanding Paget's disease of bone are also predisposed to develop osteogenic sarcoma, as are those who have received exposure to ionising radiation.
