Osteosarcoma Survival Rates

Osteosarcoma survival rates vary widely because bone tumors can differ significantly in terms of size, location, extent and other factors. While general survival rates can be useful to physicians as a frame of reference when discussing patient cases, this information can potentially be misinterpreted by a patient who is interested in learning about his or her individual prognosis. That’s because survival rates are simply averages that are calculated based on the experiences of many people who had osteosarcomas in the past. As such, they cannot be used to predict what will happen in any specific case.

Some of the many factors that influence osteosarcoma survival rates include:

• The size and location of the primary osteosarcoma
• Whether a tumor is HER2-positive (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 is a protein that can affect tumor growth and response to treatment)
• Whether a tumor is CXCR4-positive (CXC chemokine receptor 4 is a cell surface molecule that can affect the biological activities of a tumor)
• The level of p-glycoprotein (p-glycoprotein is a protein found in cell membranes that inhibits the absorption of foreign substances, including the drugs commonly used for osteosarcoma treatment)
• Whether the primary tumor can be removed
• The degree of necrosis (cellular destruction) in the primary tumor following chemotherapy
• The spread of the cancer

Another factor that plays a key role in osteosarcoma survival rates is the experience of a patient’s treatment team. For this reason, many patients turn to Moffitt Cancer Center for bone cancer treatment. Our level of expertise is unsurpassed. Each of our patients is evaluated, treated and monitored by a multispecialty team of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, supportive care providers and other medical professionals, all of whom specialize in treating bone cancer with the newest and most effective therapies. 

If you’d like to learn more about osteosarcoma survival rates, the experts at Moffitt can put this information into the proper context for you and help you take appropriate steps to achieve the best possible outcome. Call 1-888-663-3488 or complete a new patient registration form online. We see patients with and without referrals.