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Osteosarcoma Incidence and Survival Rates from 1973 to 2004: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.

·Cancer·2009·2,165 citations·Oncology
Free Full Text·DOI·PubMed
SummaryAbstract on PubMed →

This population-based study analyzed 3,482 osteosarcoma cases from the NCI SEER database (1973-2004). It describes incidence and survival across all age groups, races, sexes, anatomic sites, and pathologic subtypes. The goal was to provide the first comprehensive, age-stratified epidemiologic description of this rare tumor.

Study Snapshot

Design
Population-based cohort
Setting: 17 SEER registries, United States
Funding: NIH/NCI intramural
Objective
Whether osteosarcoma incidence and survival differ by age, race, and subtype across all ages
Outcome(s)
Incidence and 5-year relative survival rates by age, race, subtype, site
Subjects
3482 osteosarcoma cases, SEER database 1973–2004
Inclusion
  • Malignant osteosarcoma diagnosis
  • Reported to SEER 1973–2004
Follow-up
1973–2004 (incidence); survival to 2003
Statistics
Age-adjusted incidence ratesAnnual percent change (APC)5-year relative survival95% confidence intervals

Key Findings

  • Osteosarcoma follows a bimodal incidence pattern that every orthopedic surgeon must know:
    –Ages 0-24: 4.4/million (adolescent peak)
    –Ages 25-59: 1.7/million (plateau)
    –Ages 60+: 4.2/million (second peak)
  • The lower long bones dominate in young patients, but anatomic site shifts dramatically with age:
    –Ages 0-24: lower long bones 74.5%, upper long bones 11%
    –Ages 25-59: lower long bones 43%, pelvic region 11%
    –Ages 60+: lower long bones 27%, pelvic region 19%
    –Pelvic location carries the worst prognosis at every age — 5-year survival as low as 4.4% in elderly patients.
  • Chemotherapy introduced in the early 1980s drove survival from ~20% to ~70%. But survival has not improved since 1984.
    –Ages 0-24: 61.6% overall 5-year survival
    –Ages 25-59: 58.7%
    –Ages 60+: 24.2%, falling to 10.8% for ages 80-84
    –This plateau signals a biological ceiling with current regimens and is the strongest argument for clinical trial enrollment.
  • In the elderly, Paget disease-associated and secondary (post-treatment) osteosarcomas account for only ~34% of cases. Not the majority, as older hospital-based series suggested.
    –Primary osteosarcoma predominates even in patients over 60.
    –Misdiagnosis likely inflated secondary-cause estimates in prior reports.
  • Incidence peaks at age 12 in females vs age 16 in males, correlating with earlier puberty onset.
    –Under age 15, females actually have slightly higher incidence than males.
    –The overall male predominance (1.22:1) emerges only in older strata.
Board PearlOsteosarcoma survival improved from 20% to 70% after 1980s chemotherapy but has not improved since 1984 — new strategies are urgently needed.

Clinical Relevance

Most prior osteosarcoma data either focused on pediatric cases or lumped all ages together, obscuring the distinct biology and prognosis of elderly-onset disease. Hospital-based series had also systematically overestimated the proportion of Paget- and radiation-related cases in older patients.

When you see an osteosarcoma in a patient over 60, do not default to assuming it is Paget-related or radiation-induced. This paper shows primary osteosarcoma is the majority presentation even in the elderly, and those patients deserve the same diagnostic and staging workup as younger patients.

When you see a pelvic osteosarcoma at any age, counsel accordingly. Pelvic location predicts the worst outcomes across all age groups — 5-year survival drops to 4.4% in elderly patients with pelvic primaries. This finding should drive early multidisciplinary consultation and surgical planning.

The survival plateau since the mid-1980s is the paper's most important clinical signal. Current chemotherapy regimens have maximized their benefit. Enrollment in clinical trials should be the default recommendation for any osteosarcoma patient, particularly those with distant disease or pelvic primaries.

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|

Osteosarcoma Incidence and Survival Rates from 1973 to 2004: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.

·Cancer·2009·2,165 citations·Oncology
Free Full Text·DOI·PubMed
SummaryAbstract on PubMed →

This population-based study analyzed 3,482 osteosarcoma cases from the NCI SEER database (1973-2004). It describes incidence and survival across all age groups, races, sexes, anatomic sites, and pathologic subtypes. The goal was to provide the first comprehensive, age-stratified epidemiologic description of this rare tumor.

Study Snapshot

Design
Population-based cohort
Setting: 17 SEER registries, United States
Funding: NIH/NCI intramural
Objective
Whether osteosarcoma incidence and survival differ by age, race, and subtype across all ages
Outcome(s)
Incidence and 5-year relative survival rates by age, race, subtype, site
Subjects
3482 osteosarcoma cases, SEER database 1973–2004
Inclusion
  • Malignant osteosarcoma diagnosis
  • Reported to SEER 1973–2004
Follow-up
1973–2004 (incidence); survival to 2003
Statistics
Age-adjusted incidence ratesAnnual percent change (APC)5-year relative survival95% confidence intervals

Key Findings

  • Osteosarcoma follows a bimodal incidence pattern that every orthopedic surgeon must know:
    –Ages 0-24: 4.4/million (adolescent peak)
    –Ages 25-59: 1.7/million (plateau)
    –Ages 60+: 4.2/million (second peak)
  • The lower long bones dominate in young patients, but anatomic site shifts dramatically with age:
    –Ages 0-24: lower long bones 74.5%, upper long bones 11%
    –Ages 25-59: lower long bones 43%, pelvic region 11%
    –Ages 60+: lower long bones 27%, pelvic region 19%
    –Pelvic location carries the worst prognosis at every age — 5-year survival as low as 4.4% in elderly patients.
  • Chemotherapy introduced in the early 1980s drove survival from ~20% to ~70%. But survival has not improved since 1984.
    –Ages 0-24: 61.6% overall 5-year survival
    –Ages 25-59: 58.7%
    –Ages 60+: 24.2%, falling to 10.8% for ages 80-84
    –This plateau signals a biological ceiling with current regimens and is the strongest argument for clinical trial enrollment.
  • In the elderly, Paget disease-associated and secondary (post-treatment) osteosarcomas account for only ~34% of cases. Not the majority, as older hospital-based series suggested.
    –Primary osteosarcoma predominates even in patients over 60.
    –Misdiagnosis likely inflated secondary-cause estimates in prior reports.
  • Incidence peaks at age 12 in females vs age 16 in males, correlating with earlier puberty onset.
    –Under age 15, females actually have slightly higher incidence than males.
    –The overall male predominance (1.22:1) emerges only in older strata.
Board PearlOsteosarcoma survival improved from 20% to 70% after 1980s chemotherapy but has not improved since 1984 — new strategies are urgently needed.

Clinical Relevance

Most prior osteosarcoma data either focused on pediatric cases or lumped all ages together, obscuring the distinct biology and prognosis of elderly-onset disease. Hospital-based series had also systematically overestimated the proportion of Paget- and radiation-related cases in older patients.

When you see an osteosarcoma in a patient over 60, do not default to assuming it is Paget-related or radiation-induced. This paper shows primary osteosarcoma is the majority presentation even in the elderly, and those patients deserve the same diagnostic and staging workup as younger patients.

When you see a pelvic osteosarcoma at any age, counsel accordingly. Pelvic location predicts the worst outcomes across all age groups — 5-year survival drops to 4.4% in elderly patients with pelvic primaries. This finding should drive early multidisciplinary consultation and surgical planning.

The survival plateau since the mid-1980s is the paper's most important clinical signal. Current chemotherapy regimens have maximized their benefit. Enrollment in clinical trials should be the default recommendation for any osteosarcoma patient, particularly those with distant disease or pelvic primaries.

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