Survival Rates for Bone Cancer

Survival rates are a way to measure how many people survive a certain type of cancer over time. They can’t tell you exactly what will happen with any one person, but they may be able to help you better understand what to expect.

To estimate survival rates, doctors must look at people who were treated at least 5 years ago. Changes in treatment since then may result in a better outlook for people diagnosed with bone cancer today.

Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates. They can’t predict what will happen in any one person’s case. These statistics can be confusing and might raise more questions for you. Ask your doctor how these numbers might apply to you.

Note: This information focuses on bone cancers that are seen most often in adults and start in the bones (primary bone cancers). Osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and bone metastases are covered separately.

What is a 5-year survival rate?

A 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of people who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Of course, people may live much longer than 5 years.

What is a 5-year relative survival rate?

Relative survival rates are a more accurate way to estimate the effect of cancer on survival. These rates compare people with the same type and stage of cancer to people in the overall population.

For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific type and stage of bone cancer is 80%, it means that on average, people who have that cancer are about 80% as likely to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed, compared to people who don’t have that cancer.

Where do these numbers come from?

The American Cancer Society relies on information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer.

The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for different types of bone cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread. The SEER database, however, does not group cancers by MSTS or TNM stages (stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, etc.). Instead, it groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages:

• Localized: There is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the bone where it started.
• Regional: The cancer has grown outside the bone and into nearby bones or other structures, or it has reached nearby lymph nodes.
• Distant: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as to the lungs or to bones in other parts of the body.

5-year relative survival rates, by bone cancer type

These numbers, which are the most recent available, are based on people diagnosed with certain types of bone cancer between 2015 and 2021.

For rates for some of the other more common types of bone cancer, see Survival Rates for Osteosarcoma or Survival Rates for Ewing sarcoma.

Chondrosarcoma

SEER* stage	5-year relative survival rate
Localized	91%
Regional	71%
Distant	28%
All SEER stages combined	78%

*SEER=Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results

Chordoma

SEER stage	5-year relative survival rate
Localized	94%
Regional	85%
Distant	54%
All SEER stages combined	89%

 

Giant cell tumor of bone

SEER stage	5-year relative survival rate
Localized	91%
Regional	88%
Distant	39%
All SEER stages combined	82%

 

Other types of bone cancer

Some types of bone cancer are so rare that it can be hard to get accurate survival rates. Talk to your cancer care team if you have a type of bone cancer not listed here and would like to know more about your prognosis (outlook). 

Understanding the numbers

These numbers apply only to the stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed. They do not apply later on if the cancer grows, spreads, or comes back after treatment.

These numbers don’t take everything into account. Other factors can affect your outlook, such as your age and overall health, which bone the cancer started in, and how well the cancer responds.

Treatments improve over time. These numbers are based on people who were diagnosed and treated at least 5 years earlier.