Ewing sarcoma

Most Ewing tumors appear in the teenagers, but also children and adults can have them. They are usually diagnosed before the age of 20, especially between the ages of 10 and 20, and it is slightly more common in men and in Europe compared to other continents.

What Causes Ewing Sarcoma?

It is not clear what causes Ewing sarcoma but it all starts when the calls round cells develop changes in their DNA. These cause the cell to multiply rapidly, forming a mass or tumor of abnormal cells that invades and destroys healthy body tissue. Ewing's sarcoma is the result of translocation between chromosomes 11 and 22.

Ewing sarcoma symptoms

• pain: severe pain in the affected area is usually the most common symptom.
• Pathological fracture (fracture with a trauma that, under normal conditions, would not have led to the breaking of the bone). The femur is the most affected bone, followed by the tibia and humerus.
• Constitutional syndrome (weight loss, fatigue, etc.): it happens especially in disseminated or metastatic cases. 30% of cases have metastases when diagnosed.
• Lump or lump sensation: A tumor (lump) may appear that may be palpable at times.

How is Ewing sarcoma diagnosed?

Once the suspicion of the existence of bone cancer is established, tests are carried out for its diagnosis.

• Simple radiology: an X-ray can show us an osteolytic (bone destroying) lesion, which can reach the periosteum (superficial area of ​​the bone) and even to the soft tissues. A lesion can be seen in "onion layers".
• CT, MRI: both (CT) and (MRI) allow determining the extent of the tumor, both in bone and in neighboring soft tissues.
• Biopsy: In a biopsy, the doctor removes a small part of the suspected tumor in order to examine it to see if it contains cancer cells.
• Extension study: the doctor asks for tests to know in what state of extension is the sarcoma, to know if it is localized or disseminated and if it is disseminated to know which organs it affects. The most common is to order a CT scan to view the chest and abdomen. Other useful tests may be the PET exam.

Treatment for Ewing's sarcoma

Chemotherapy

It is almost always the first treatment. There are some ways to lessen and treat most of the side effects of chemotherapy. It is important to notify your cancer care team of any effects you have so that they can help you.

Surgery

It is an important part of the treatment of most Ewing tumors. Surgery is used to remove the tumor and put prostheses if they are necessary.

Radiation

Radiation uses high-energy rays (like X-rays) to kill cancer cells. It can be used after surgery to try to kill any cancer cells that may have been left. Or it could be used instead of surgery if all of the cancer cannot be removed. It can also help treat symptoms such as pain and swelling when the cancer comes back and no more surgery is possible.

Stem cell transplantation

High doses of chemotherapy drugs can destroy the bone marrow, preventing new blood cells from being made. Those given after chemo, a stem cell transplant, can make the bone marrow work again by making blood.

Clinical studies

Clinical studies are research to test new drugs or treatments in humans. These studies compare conventional treatments with others that might be better. If you join a clinical study, you can always stop participating in it at any time.

After treatment: survival

At first, they may be every two to three months. Then, as long as no cancer is found, visits are required less frequently.

Survival from Ewing's sarcoma has been increasing in recent years, thanks to the progress of the multimodal treatments, that is, those who combine chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. In this way, a survival rate at five years has gone from 44% to 68% (localized) and at 10 years from 39% to 63%. Clinical data such as age, tumor location, and size must be taken into account.

• Ewing's tumors or sarcomas are a group of cancers that originate in the bones or in the soft tissues near them, causing cells to grow in these areas in an uncontrolled way.
• The survival of Ewing's sarcoma has been increasing in recent years, thanks to the progress of multimodal treatments, that is, those that combine chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy.
• As prognostic factors, clinical data such as age, tumor location and size must be taken into account.

Family doctor