Primary bone cancer begins and develops within the skeletal system. Though there is no definitive answer as to what causes bone cancer, incredible strides have been made toward treating it. When you take steps toward an alternative treatment for bone cancer, it’s no longer a matter of how long can you live with metastatic bone cancer — it’s a matter of how proactively and positively you can live with it.

At Immunity Therapy Center, we know a bone cancer diagnosis is scary. But we also know there are incredible alternative treatment plans that can help you push through it.

If you or someone near and dear has been diagnosed with primary bone cancer, we’re here for you. Let’s cover the stages, symptoms, survival rates, and treatment options, so you can look forward to a bright future ahead. 

What Are the Different Types of Bone Cancer?

While there are several different types of bone cancer, the three most commonly diagnosed include osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and Ewing sarcoma. Primary bone cancer is also more deadly than secondary bone cancer since it forms within the bone and can spread to nearby soft tissue.


Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that often forms in long bones within the body. While it often starts in the arms and legs, an osteosarcoma bone tumor can form anywhere in the body. 


Chondrosarcoma is a form of bone sarcoma that produces cartilage. While it is often found in bones, it can also develop in soft tissue as well. Signs of this form of bone sarcoma usually include pain, swelling, and fractures. 

Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma is a type of bone cancer that commonly affects children and young adults. Ewing’s sarcoma is often found in long bones, however it can develop in any bone within the body. Symptoms of Ewing’s sarcoma include fever, pain, and swelling

Bone Cancer Survival Rate

If a patient or family member asks what is bone cancer and how is bone cancer diagnosed, we often hear a third question — what is the survival rate of bone cancer.

Survival rates offer a percentage of the people that are alive for a period of time after a diagnosis of a particular type of cancer. This typically is after five years. Remember these percentages are just a prognosis and predicting each individual’s case is impossible.

 The American Cancer Society provides survival statistics on the spread of cancer in patients. When you’re wondering how long do you live after being diagnosed with bone cancer and how fast does bone cancer spread, it’s important to first familiarize yourself with the bone cancer stages

The SEER database, which is what the American Cancer Society relies on for information, does not categorize the stages of cancer using the TNM system (Stage I – Stage IV). Rather, it puts each cancer into a category based on localized, regional, and distant stages.

When cancer is localized in a cancer patient, it means that there is no indication that it has spread beyond the primary cancer site where it developed. Regional means that it has spread beyond the bone and affected other bones or structures, or has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Distant refers to metastatic cancer that has spread to other bones in other parts of the body or distant parts of the body like the lungs. Bone metastasis cancer is usually considered one of the later stages of this disease.

The survival rates vary depending on the exact type of bone cancer and the prognosis for the disease. Whether you have bone metastasis or the stage of cancer can also affect your overall prognosis. Here are some of the numbers for the common types of bone cancer. 1,2

SEER Stage & 5-Year Relative Survival Rate for Osteosarcoma

  • For localized bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 77%
  • For regional bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 64%
  • For distant bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 27%
  • For all stages combines, the 5-year survival rate is 60%

SEER Stage & 5-Year Relative Survival Rate for Chondrosarcoma

  • For localized bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 91%
  • For regional bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 75%
  • For distant bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 22%
  • For all stages combines, the 5-year survival rate is 78%

SEER Stage & 5-Year Relative Survival Rate for Chordoma

  • For localized bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 87%
  • For regional bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 83%
  • For distant bone cancers, the 5-year survival rate is 55%
  • For all stages combines, the 5-year survival rate is 82%

Being Aware of Bone Cancer Symptoms

Keep in mind that survival rates have to do with how far cancer has spread. By knowing what does bone cancer look like and what does bone cancer feel like — as well as exactly what are the symptoms of bone cancer — you can increase your chance for catching and treating it early.

Bone pain is the most common symptom for this type of cancer. This bone pain can start at night or during times of use and eventually progress to a pain that is more severe. It is often described as an aching or throbbing. There is also a chance of swelling or a lump or mass where the bone tumor is located. If you notice these symptoms, they might be related to injury or another bone disease. If so, you will want to get a diagnosis of any potential bone tumors to decide if they are cancerous. Understanding “how is bone cancer diagnosed has to do with these symptoms, bone scan imaging (like MRIs and x-rays), and a biopsy.

Treatment Options

Today, great strides have been taken in cancer treatment — and a bone cancer diagnosis (no matter how advanced) does not mean you cannot beat it. Traditional cancer treatment, such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or surgery, often leaves a cancer patient feeling weaker than when they started. That’s why at ITC, we focus on how to treat bone cancer naturally, through immunity-boosting treatment plans.

Our holistic cancer treatment programs are customized and personal. Whether we’re using IV therapy infusions with nutrients and vitamins, sonodynamic therapy, or Bemer therapy to increase oxygen blood flow and reduce bone tumor growth, our alternative cancer treatments use natural, non-invasive targeted therapy methods to take advantage of cancer cells’ weaknesses.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed and you’re wondering how long can you live with bone cancer, we hope you’ll reach out to our team today. Our center is filled with enthusiastic, passionate people who are here to help you on your journey to wellness. 

From all of us at Immunity Therapy Center, we’re wishing you a happy and healthy day ahead.



  1. Survival Rates for Bone Cancer
  2. Survival Rates for Osteoscarcoma. 


April 16, 2020

Dr. Carlos Bautista is a Board Certified Medical Doctor. He received his Medical Degree from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and has more than 20 years of experience working with Alternative Medicine to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, chronic degenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. He opened Immunity Therapy Center in 2007 with the goal of providing the highest quality medical care for more than 5,000 patients.

At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.