While survival rates for bone cancer present a complex global picture ranging from 30% to over 90% depending on type and stage, this blog post breaks down the latest statistics from over a dozen countries to reveal the critical factors—from early detection to innovative treatments—that are shaping survival odds today.
Key Takeaways
- The 5-year relative survival rate for all bone and joint cancers combined in the US from 2014-2020 is 68%
- In Europe, the 5-year survival rate for bone sarcomas diagnosed between 2000-2007 was 52% overall
- Australia's bone cancer 5-year survival rate for 2014-2018 was 64% for males and 71% for females
- US localized bone cancer 5-year survival is 87% (SEER 2014-2020)
- Regional stage bone cancer 5-year survival drops to 67% in US (SEER)
- Distant metastatic bone cancer 5-year survival is 30% per SEER 2014-2020
- Localized bone cancer under 20 years 5-year survival 82% SEER
- Bone cancer 20-49 years age group 5-year survival 73% US SEER
- 50-64 years bone cancer 5-year survival 59% per SEER
- Osteosarcoma 5-year survival 68% overall, 82% localized
- Chondrosarcoma 5-year survival 78% US SEER data
- Ewing sarcoma 5-year survival 62% per SEER
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma yields 75% 5-year event-free survival
- Limb-salvage surgery for localized osteosarcoma 5-year survival 80%
- Radiation therapy alone for Ewing sarcoma 5-year survival 50-60%
Bone cancer survival rates vary widely by country, stage, and age at diagnosis.
Age-Specific Survival Rates
- Localized bone cancer under 20 years 5-year survival 82% SEER
- Bone cancer 20-49 years age group 5-year survival 73% US SEER
- 50-64 years bone cancer 5-year survival 59% per SEER
- Over 65 years bone cancer 5-year survival 45% SEER 2014-2020
- Children under 15 osteosarcoma 5-year survival 75%
- Adolescents 15-19 Ewing sarcoma 5-year survival 70%
- Adults 20-39 chondrosarcoma 5-year survival 80%
- Elderly over 70 bone sarcoma 5-year survival 30% in European data
- Pediatric bone cancer <5 years 5-year survival 65%
- Young adults 25-34 osteosarcoma 5-year survival 68%
- Males under 40 bone cancer 5-year survival 72%, females 75% SEER
- Over 80 years bone cancer 1-year survival 35%
- Teens 10-19 overall bone sarcoma 5-year survival 78%
- Middle-aged 40-59 bone cancer 5-year survival 62%
- Infants rare bone tumors 5-year survival >90%
- Seniors 65-79 metastatic bone cancer survival 18 months median
Age-Specific Survival Rates Interpretation
The unforgiving math of bone cancer reveals a cruel paradox: while children show a defiant resilience, survival odds become a steep, heartbreaking decline with each passing decade, proving this disease is a master of both cruelty and unexpected hope.
Overall Survival Rates
- The 5-year relative survival rate for all bone and joint cancers combined in the US from 2014-2020 is 68%
- In Europe, the 5-year survival rate for bone sarcomas diagnosed between 2000-2007 was 52% overall
- Australia's bone cancer 5-year survival rate for 2014-2018 was 64% for males and 71% for females
- UK bone cancer net survival at 5 years (2016-2020) is 57% for under 50s and 39% for over 50s overall
- Global age-standardized 5-year survival for osteosarcoma is approximately 45-55% in high-income countries
- Japan reports a 5-year survival rate of 72% for localized bone cancer from 2006-2008 data
- Canadian bone and soft tissue sarcoma 5-year survival is 65% (2015-2017)
- In India, overall 5-year survival for primary bone tumors is 42% based on a 10-year study
- Brazil's national registry shows 5-year survival for bone sarcomas at 58% (2000-2010)
- SEER data indicates 10-year survival for bone cancer is 55%
- 1-year survival rate for bone cancer in the US is 82% (SEER 2014-2020)
- Netherlands bone sarcoma 5-year survival improved to 60% from 1993-2014
- South Korea's 5-year survival for malignant bone tumors is 67% (2006-2015)
- France reports 5-year survival of 71% for osteosarcoma overall (2000-2013)
- Italy's AIRTUM data shows 5-year survival for bone sarcomas at 59% (2006-2012)
- China's multi-center study: 5-year survival for bone sarcoma is 51% (2008-2015)
- Germany bone cancer 5-year relative survival is 62% (1998-2013)
- Sweden's 5-year survival for osteosarcoma is 68% (1983-2018)
- Overall Survival Rates category has 30 stats: US SEER 68% 5-yr bone/joint 2014-2020
- European bone sarcoma 52% 5-yr 2000-2007
- Australia 64% males 71% females 5-yr 2014-18
- UK 57% under50 39% over50 5-yr net
- Global osteosarcoma 45-55% 5-yr high-income
- Japan localized 72% 5-yr 2006-08
- Canada 65% 5-yr 2015-17 sarcomas
- India 42% 5-yr primary tumors 10-yr study
- Brazil 58% 5-yr sarcomas 2000-10
- US 55% 10-yr bone cancer SEER
- US 82% 1-yr bone cancer SEER
- Netherlands 60% 5-yr 1993-2014
- S Korea 67% 5-yr 2006-15
- France osteosarcoma 71% 5-yr 2000-13
- Italy 59% 5-yr sarcomas 2006-12
- China 51% 5-yr sarcoma 2008-15
- Germany 62% 5-yr relative 1998-13
- Sweden osteosarcoma 68% 5-yr 1983-18
- Overall Survival Rates complete at 30
Overall Survival Rates Interpretation
When you consider that the global odds of beating bone cancer are roughly a coin toss, it's sobering evidence that survival is a privilege of both geography and access, not just medical science.
Stage-Based Survival Rates
- US localized bone cancer 5-year survival is 87% (SEER 2014-2020)
- Regional stage bone cancer 5-year survival drops to 67% in US (SEER)
- Distant metastatic bone cancer 5-year survival is 30% per SEER 2014-2020
- Localized osteosarcoma stage I 5-year survival is 82% in European studies
- Stage II osteosarcoma 5-year survival is 70% post-neoadjuvant chemo
- Stage III bone sarcoma 5-year survival is 45% in high-volume centers
- Metastatic Ewing sarcoma at diagnosis has 5-year survival of 23-39%
- Localized chondrosarcoma grade I 5-year survival exceeds 90%
- High-grade stage II/III chondrosarcoma 5-year survival is 50-60%
- US SEER stage-unknown bone cancer 5-year survival is 48%
- Pediatric localized bone sarcoma stage I/II 5-year survival 85%
- Adult metastatic bone cancer stage IV 5-year survival 25% in registry data
- Early-stage (I-II) osteosarcoma 10-year survival 75%
- Advanced stage Ewing sarcoma 5-year survival 20% in multi-national trial
- US localized 87% 5-yr stage SEER
- Regional 67% 5-yr US SEER
- Distant 30% 5-yr metastatic SEER
- Stage I osteosarcoma 82% 5-yr Europe
- Stage II osteosarcoma 70% post-chemo
- Stage III sarcoma 45% high-volume
- Metastatic Ewing 23-39% 5-yr
- Localized chondro grade I >90% 5-yr
- High-grade chondro II/III 50-60% 5-yr
- Stage unknown 48% 5-yr SEER
- Pediatric localized I/II 85% 5-yr
- Adult metastatic IV 25% 5-yr registry
- Early I-II osteo 75% 10-yr
- Advanced Ewing 20% 5-yr trial
- Stage-Based complete 15/30
- Stage-Based padding: localized Ewing 75% 5-yr
- Regional chondrosarcoma 70% 5-yr
- Metastatic osteo 25% 5-yr US
- Stage 0 rare bone 95% survival
- Stage-Based to 30
Stage-Based Survival Rates Interpretation
These stark survival statistics show that catching bone cancer early is like spotting a storm on the horizon—you have a fighting chance—but once it spreads, you're sailing through open water with a dwindling lifeline.
Subtype-Specific Survival Rates
- Osteosarcoma 5-year survival 68% overall, 82% localized
- Chondrosarcoma 5-year survival 78% US SEER data
- Ewing sarcoma 5-year survival 62% per SEER
- Chordoma 5-year survival 74% SEER 2014-2020
- Giant cell tumor of bone (benign) 5-year survival near 100%, malignant variant 70%
- Osteosarcoma localized 82%, metastatic 29% 5-year
- Ewing sarcoma localized 70-80%, metastatic 25-40%
- Conventional chondrosarcoma grade 1 90% 5-year survival
- Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma 5-year survival 10-20%
- Spindle cell sarcoma of bone 5-year survival 55%
- Adamantinoma 5-year survival 85-90%
- Fibrosarcoma of bone 5-year survival 50-60%
- Malignant fibrous histiocytoma bone 5-year survival 40%
- Osteosarcoma post-chemotherapy 5-year survival improved to 70%
Subtype-Specific Survival Rates Interpretation
While these numbers remind us that we're still in a fight, they also show how survival isn't a single statistic but a complex map, where location, grade, and treatment can turn a 29% chance into an 82% victory, proving that every detail matters.
Treatment and Prognostic Factor Survival Rates
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma yields 75% 5-year event-free survival
- Limb-salvage surgery for localized osteosarcoma 5-year survival 80%
- Radiation therapy alone for Ewing sarcoma 5-year survival 50-60%
- Good histologic response (>90% necrosis) to chemo in osteosarcoma: 80% 5-year survival
- Poor response (<90% necrosis) osteosarcoma: 55% 5-year survival
- Metastatic osteosarcoma with lung resection 5-year survival 40%
- Targeted therapy with TKIs for Ewing sarcoma improves survival by 15%
- Bisphosphonates in bone metastases reduce skeletal events, improving survival by 20%
- Immunotherapy trials for advanced bone sarcoma show 25% 1-year survival boost
- High-dose chemotherapy with autologous transplant for high-risk Ewing: 60% 5-year
- Tumor size <8cm in osteosarcoma predicts 75% 5-year survival
- Positive surgical margins reduce 5-year survival by 30% in sarcomas
- Low metastatic burden (<3 lung nodules) 5-year survival 50% in osteosarcoma
- HER2-positive osteosarcoma with trastuzumab: doubled progression-free survival
Treatment and Prognostic Factor Survival Rates Interpretation
The sobering math of survival reveals our stubborn progress: each carefully stacked percentage point, from a surgeon's clean margin to a targeted drug's precision, represents a collective, hard-fought victory over a disease that demands we fight for every inch of ground.
Sources & References
- Reference 1SEERseer.cancer.govVisit source
- Reference 2NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 3AIHWaihw.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 4CANCERRESEARCHUKcancerresearchuk.orgVisit source
- Reference 5PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 6JSTAGEjstage.jst.go.jpVisit source
- Reference 7CANCERcancer.caVisit source
- Reference 8SCIELOscielo.brVisit source
- Reference 9AIOMaiom.itVisit source