Statistics About Primary Bone Cancer

Primary bone cancer starts in the bone, and is more rare than secondary bone cancer, which is cancer that starts someplace else in the body and spreads to the bone.

Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chance of getting cancer. Or they use them to try to figure out their chance of being cured. Statistics show what happens with large groups of people. No two people are alike, though. Statistics can’t tell or predict what will happen to you.

These are some 2007 statistics about primary bone cancer from the American Cancer Society.

• Primary bone cancers are rare. They account for less than 0.2% of all cancers.

• About 2,400 people will be told they have primary bone cancer this year.

• About 1,300people are expected to die of primary bone cancer this year.

• Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer (35% of cases). Chondrosarcoma (26%) is the next most common. Ewing ’s tumor (16%) is next. It is followed by chordoma (8%). Then come malignant fibrosarcoma and fibrous histiocytoma (6%). Several rare types of cancers make up the rest of cases.

• Osteosarcoma and Ewing ’s sarcoma are more common in children, adolescents, and young adults. Chondrosarcoma is more common in older adults. Malignant fibrosarcoma and fibrous histiocytoma are also more common in older adults.

• Primary bone cancers affect slightly more males than females.