Key Statistics About Bone Cancer

It's more common for cancer to spread to the bone (bone metastasis) than it is for cancer to start in the bones (primary bone cancer).

How common is bone cancer?

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for primary cancer of the bones and joints for 2025 are:

• About 3,770 new cases diagnosed (2,150 in males and 1,620 in females)
• About 2,190 deaths (1,240 in males and 950 in females)

This includes cancers in both children and adults.

Primary bone cancers (cancers that start in the bones) are uncommon, accounting for less than 1% of all cancers. In adults, cancers that spread to the bones from other organs (known as bone metastasis) are much more common than primary bone cancers.

What types of bone cancer are most common?

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of primary bone cancer overall, followed by chondrosarcoma and Ewing tumors (Ewing sarcomas). But this varies by age group.

In adults, the most common primary bone cancer is chondrosarcoma. This is followed by osteosarcomas, chordomas, and Ewing tumors. Other types of bone cancer are much less common.

In children and teens, osteosarcoma and Ewing tumors are much more common than chondrosarcoma or other types of bone cancers.

The prognosis (outlook) for people with bone cancer depends on many factors, including the type of bone cancer, the location of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) when it’s first found, the person’s age and overall health, and how well the cancer responds to treatment. For more on this, see Survival Rates for Bone Cancer.

Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.