Survival Rates for Osteosarcoma

Survival rates are a way to measure how many people survive a certain type of cancer over time. They cannot tell you exactly what will happen with any one person, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that treatment will be successful. Some people find survival rates helpful, but some might not.

Survival rates in osteosarcoma are described by whether the cancer is localized or metastatic. For more information, see Stages and Prognostic Markers of Osteosarcoma.

What is a 5-year survival rate?

The 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 (and many are cured).

Survival rates

Overall, about 60–70% of people diagnosed with osteosarcoma will be cured. Survival rates in osteosarcoma are most impacted by whether the cancer is in one place (localized), if it has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), or if it has returned after treatment (relapsed).

• Localized osteosarcoma: For people who have local disease that has not spread, survival rates range from 60–75%.
• Metastatic osteosarcoma: For people who have osteosarcoma that has spread when it is found, survival rates range from 5–30%.
• Relapsed osteosarcoma: Treatment and outlook for relapsed osteosarcoma vary by the location and timing of the relapse. Relapsed osteosarcoma can be difficult to treat. The outlook in relapsed osteosarcoma is better when recurrent tumors can be removed with surgery. Clinical trials may offer access to new treatments.

The expected outcome of treatment for an individual varies based on prognostic factors. Even when taking these factors into account, survival rates are estimates. Your cancer care team is your best source of information on this topic, as they know your situation best.