Bone Cancer: Complete 2025 Guide – Types, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Survival Rates

 

Bone Cancer: Complete 2025 Guide

Types • Symptoms • Diagnosis • Treatment • Survival Rates

Primary bone cancer (cancer that starts in the bone) is rare but serious. This comprehensive guide explains the main types, warning signs, modern diagnostic methods, current treatment options, and realistic survival statistics.

What Is Primary Bone Cancer?

Primary bone cancer begins in bone or cartilage cells. It is different and much rarer than secondary (metastatic) bone cancer, which spreads to bone from cancers like breast, prostate, or lung.

Key fact: Only about 3,000–4,000 new cases of primary bone cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States — less than 0.2% of all cancers.

Main Types of Primary Bone Cancer

Type	Most Common Age	Common Locations	Notes
Osteosarcoma	10–30 years	Around the knee, upper arm	Most common primary bone cancer (35–50% of cases)
Ewing Sarcoma	5–25 years	Pelvis, thigh, ribs, upper arm	Second most common in children/teens
Chondrosarcoma	40–70 years	Pelvis, thigh, shoulder	Starts in cartilage; usually slower growing
Chordoma	50+ years	Base of skull, sacrum	Very rare, slow-growing

Common Symptoms

• Persistent bone pain (often worse at night or with activity)
• Swelling or a noticeable lump over the bone
• Pathologic fractures (broken bone from minor trauma)
• Limping or reduced movement
• Fatigue, unexplained weight loss, fever (especially Ewing sarcoma)

Diagnosis

1. X-rays (often shows characteristic “sunburst” or “onion skin” patterns)
2. MRI or CT scan of the affected area
3. Bone scan or PET-CT to check for metastasis
4. Biopsy (needle or open) – the only way to confirm type and grade

Treatment Options (2025)

• Surgery – Main treatment; limb-salvage surgery is successful in >85–90% of cases today
• Chemotherapy – Standard for osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma (neo-adjuvant + adjuvant)
• Radiation therapy – Important in Ewing sarcoma; sometimes used when surgery isn’t possible
• Targeted therapy & immunotherapy – Emerging options in clinical trials

5-Year Survival Rates (Approximate, U.S. data)

Cancer Type & Stage	5-Year Survival
Osteosarcoma – Localized	60–80%
Osteosarcoma – Metastatic	20–30%
Ewing Sarcoma – Localized	70–80%
Ewing Sarcoma – Metastatic	30–40%
Low-grade Chondrosarcoma	>90%
High-grade Chondrosarcoma	50–60%

Important Reminder

Multiple myeloma, lymphoma of bone, and metastatic carcinoma are NOT primary bone cancers, even though they affect the bones.

© 2025 Medical Information Hub • This page is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.