Survival Rates for Bone Cancer

Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually 5 years) after they were diagnosed. They can’t tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.

Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they can’t predict what will happen in any particular person’s case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Talk with your doctor about how these numbers may apply to you, as he or she is familiar with your situation.

What is a 5-year relative survival rate?

A relative survival rate compares people with the same type (and often 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 people who have that cancer are, on average, about 80% as likely as people who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.

Where do these numbers come from?

The American Cancer Society relies on information from the 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 AJCC 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 for bone cancer

These numbers are based on people diagnosed with certain types of bone cancer between 2008 and 2014. For rates for some of the other more common types of bone cancer, see Survival Rates for Osteosarcoma or Survival Rates for Ewing Tumors.

Chondrosarcoma

Chordoma

Some types of bone cancers are so rare that survival rates are only available for all stages combined, instead of for individual SEER stages. For example, the 5-year relative survival rate for giant cell tumor of bone for all stages combined is 78%.

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. Survival rates are grouped based on how far the cancer has spread. But other factors, such as your age and overall health, the type and location of the cancer, and how well the cancer responds to treatment, can also affect your outlook.
• People now being diagnosed with bone cancer may have a better outlook than these numbers show. Treatments improve over time, and these numbers are based on people who were diagnosed and treated at least 5 years earlier.

*SEER = Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results