Survival rates describe what happened to groups of people with osteosarcoma. Survival rates can give a general idea of outlook, but they cannot predict exactly what will happen for any one person.
For people with localized high-grade osteosarcoma of the arms or legs who have surgery and chemotherapy, the five-year overall survival rate is about 62% to 65%. For people who have metastatic osteosarcoma when they are diagnosed, about 30% survive five years. People with osteosarcoma in bones in the center of the body, such as the spine or pelvis, tend to have lower five-year survival rates.
Long-term survival estimates vary by the group studied and the years in which people were treated. In a 2025 Italian study that included people treated over several decades, the 10-year overall survival rate for osteosarcoma was about 54%. This number should not be compared directly with the five-year rates because the study populations and time periods are different.
Several factors can affect outlook. One of the most important is whether the cancer has spread when it is diagnosed. Other factors include the size and location of the tumor, whether the cancer can be completely removed with surgery, and how well the chemotherapy kills the tumor cells.
For people with metastatic osteosarcoma, the site and amount of spread also matter. People with fewer lung metastases generally have a better outlook than people with more extensive cancer. The outlook also tends to be better when the cancer has spread only to your lungs than when it has spread to your lungs and other parts of your body.
Long-term survival is possible for some people with metastatic osteosarcoma, especially when all sites of cancer can be completely removed.
Survival after recurrence
Osteosarcoma that comes back after treatment is called recurrent osteosarcoma. Survival after recurrence varies widely and depends in part on where the cancer returns, how long it has been since the original diagnosis and whether all areas of cancer can be removed with surgery.
When recurrent osteosarcoma has spread only to the lungs, long-term survival is possible for some people, especially when all areas of cancer can be completely removed with surgery. Complete removal of recurrent cancer is one of the most important factors linked to longer survival.
Your healthcare team can explain how these factors apply to you or your child and what the survival statistics may mean in your situation.
Sept. 18, 2026