How many cases of osteosarcoma per year?
Osteosarcoma is not a common cancer. Each year, about 1,000 new cases of osteosarcoma are diagnosed in the United States. About half of these are in children and teens. Most osteosarcomas occur in children, teens, and young adults between the ages of 10 and 30.
Where is osteosarcoma most common?
Where does osteosarcoma start?
- Most tumors develop in the bones around the knee, either in the lower part of the thigh bone (distal femur) or the upper part of the shinbone (proximal tibia).
- The upper arm bone close to the shoulder (proximal humerus) is the next most common site.
Does anyone survive osteosarcoma?
If osteosarcoma is diagnosed and treated before it has spread outside the area where it started, the general 5-year survival rate for people of all ages is 74%. If the cancer has spread outside of the bones and into surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is 66%.
Who is at risk for osteosarcoma?
The risk of osteosarcoma is highest for those between the ages of 10 and 30, especially during the teenage growth spurt. This suggests there may be a link between rapid bone growth and risk of tumor formation. The risk goes down in middle age, but rises again in older adults (usually over the age of 60).
Can osteosarcoma be cured?
Today, about 3 out of 4 people who have osteosarcoma can be cured if the cancer hasn’t spread to other parts of the body. Almost everyone who is treated with limb-sparing surgery ends up with that arm or leg working well. Many people who have osteosarcoma will need physical therapy for several months after surgery.
Can you prevent osteosarcoma?
The risk of many adult cancers can be reduced with certain lifestyle changes (such as staying at a healthy weight or quitting smoking), but at this time there are no known ways to prevent osteosarcoma.
How long can I live with osteosarcoma?
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….5-year relative survival rates for osteosarcoma.
| SEER stage | 5-year relative survival rate |
|---|---|
| Distant | 26% |
| All SEER stages combined | 60% |