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how we produce our information| Surgery is a very important part
of treatment and is used to remove a tumour from the bone. There
have been major improvements in surgical treatments for bone
cancer. In the past, it was often necessary to remove (amputate)
the limb if cancer was found. But now, it’s usually possible
just to remove the affected part of the bone and replace it with
a specially designed metal fitting (endoprosthesis), or with a
bone from another part of the body (bone graft). If the cancer
affects a bone in or near a joint, the whole joint can often be
replaced with an artificial one. These operations, called limb-
sparing surgery| , have made it possible for many people to
avoid amputation. They are only carried out in specialist
hospitals, so your doctor should refer you to one of these
hospitals to see whether this type of operation would be
possible for you. Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to
avoid an amputation|. Sometimes