The following is a brief guide to Ewing’s Sarcoma. It is intended to give you a basic understanding of the disease so that you can have an informed discussion with your doctor about the disease, your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive guide to Ewing’s Sarcoma. You should direct all questions and confirm all information with your doctor or team of medical professionals.
Overview of Ewing’s Sarcoma
Often abbreviated as ES, Ewing’s Sarcoma is a bone cancer that is known for being particularly sensitive to radiation therapy.
ES is similar in appearance to another type of soft tissue cancer, the even more uncommon primitive neuroectodermal tumor, or PNET. These two types of cancer are in fact so familiar that for research and treatment purposes they are treated as largely the same.
When pathologists examine ES it appears blue, because of the particular stain that is used to identify the tumor. For this reason ES is often called small round blue cells.
The Typical Ewing’s Sarcoma Patient
ES is a rare pediatric cancer. In fact, it has appeared in fewer than three people per million under 20 years old, according to a 2008 study. In almost all cases ES is discovered in patients that are between five and 25 years old. Cases after the age of 25 are incredibly uncommon. The majority of cases occur in children and adolescents between 10 and 20 years old.
ES is also uncommon in those younger than five. It is more common in boys than girls, and males also have a lower rate of survival than females when diagnosed with ES. ES is ten times more common in Caucasians than blacks.
The most common locations of ES are the pelvis, followed by bones in the legs.
Symptoms of Ewing’s Sarcoma
An ES tumor will grow over weeks and months and occasionally patients report feeling pain or seeing a mass. If a mass has been present for a long period of time it is most likely not ES, as the disease is extremely aggressive. On occasion, the tumor eats away at bones, leading to fractures.
ES can mimic many other diseases of the bone, such as osteosarcoma and lymphoma.
Treatment of ES
According to the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative, it is ideal that those diagnosed with ES have a team of physicians from a variety of disciplines provide care. These physicians should include:
- Orthopedic oncologists
- Medical oncologists
- Pediatric oncologists
- Radiation oncologists
- Musculoskeletal radiologists
- Musculoskeletal pathologists
In some cases, a surgery team should include:
- Spine surgeons
- Vascular surgeons
- Plastic surgeons