The epidemiology of bone cancer in 0-39 year olds in northern England, 1981-2002

Background: There is a paucity of recent epidemiological data on bone cancers. The aim of this study was to describe incidence and survival patterns for bone cancers diagnosed during 1981 - 2002. Methods: Cases aged 0 - 39 years (236 osteosarcomas, 166 Ewing sarcomas and 73 chondrosarcomas) were analysed using Poisson and Cox regressions. Results: Incidence rates (per million persons per year) for osteosarcoma were 2.5 at age 0 - 14 years; 4.5 at age 15 - 29 years and 1.0 at age 30 - 39 years. Similarly, for Ewing sarcoma the incidence rates were 2.2; 2.9; 0.4 and for chondrosarcoma rates were 0.1; 1.2; 1.8 respectively. Incidence of osteosarcoma increased at an average annual rate of 2.5% (95% CI 0.4 - 4.7; P = 0.02), but there was no change in incidence of Ewing sarcoma or chondrosarcoma. There was a marginally statistically significant improvement in survival for Ewing sarcoma (hazard ratio (HR) per annum = 0.97; 95% CI 0.94 - 1.00; P = 0.06), although patients aged 15 - 39 years (n = 93) had worse overall survival than those aged 0 - 14 (n = 73; HR = 1.46; 95% CI 0.98 - 2.17; P = 0.06). There was no significant improvement in osteosarcoma survival (HR per annum = 0.98; 95% CI 0.95 - 1.01; P = 0.18). Conclusions: Reasons for poorer survival in Ewing sarcoma patients aged 15 - 39 years and failure to significantly improve survival for osteosarcoma patients requires further investigation.