More Information on Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing's Sarcoma is a very rare form of bone cancer that strikes children and adolescents. Actually, it is a group of four different types of cancer, known collectively as the Ewing's Family of Tumors (EFT). About 250 cases are diagnosed every year in the U.S. The good news is that two-thirds of patients are long-term survivors of the disease. Although it can occur at a younger age, most Ewing's sarcoma cases are found in children aged 10 to 20. Caucasian children, particularly boys, are much more likely to have EFT than any other racial or ethnic group.

Ewing's sarcomas are caused by chromosome changes that occur after birth. In a process known as translocation, chromosomes 11 and 22 "swap" small pieces of each other, resulting in an abnormal gene that can be detected with DNA testing. However, it's not known why this translocation takes place. There are no identifiable risk factors that increase a child's susceptibility to Ewing's sarcomas, and it's not passed along from parent to child like some inherited childhood cancers. In fact, it's extremely rare for it to happen more than once in the same family.

Ewing's bone sarcoma accounts for about 85% of all cases. It's usually found in the long bones in the arm or leg, although it sometimes occurs in the pelvis or ribcage

Info from http://www.mdanderson.org/

What are the symptoms of Ewing sarcoma?

The symptoms of Ewing sarcoma depend on the bone in which the cancer develops. Symptoms include:

• Pain at the site of the mass, with soft tissue swelling around the mass.
• In cases of metastatic disease (where the cancer has spread), patients may have general symptoms such as anorexia, fever, malaise, fatigue and weight loss.
• Other symptoms will be related to the specific location of the sarcoma.

What are the prognostic factors in Ewing sarcoma?

The extent of the disease is the most important factor in determining how the disease will progress. Other factors that influence the prognosis include:

• Primary site (where the cancer began)
• The presence of metastasis (spreading to other areas)
• Size of the tumor
• Age
• Leukocyte count
• Sedimentation rate
• Serum LDH levels

Info from http://www.curesearch.org/

To view a FAQ about Ewing Sarcomo please visit this website, by clicking on this link;
http://www.cancerindex.org/ccw/faq/ewings.htm