Ewing (YOO-ing) sarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in bones or soft tissue around the bones. It most often begins in the leg or pelvic bones, but it can start in any bone. It can also spread to other parts of the body, especially to the lungs and other bones. This type of cancer is more common in teens and young adults.
Doctors use many tests and procedures to diagnose ewing sarcoma and find out how far it has spread. This process is called staging. It helps doctors plan treatment.
X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans show images of the bones and tissues. These scans can find a tumor and show how much it has grown. Doctors may also use a needle to remove a sample of tissue from the tumor or from a nearby lump. They look for cancer cells in the sample. They also check the fluid around the tumor for cancer cells. Doctors may give your child radiation to destroy any cancer cells that remain after the biopsy and surgery.
If the tumor has spread, your child may need chemotherapy to kill more cancer cells and keep them from growing. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells and help the body make healthy new cells. Doctors may also treat your child with targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances to target specific cancer cells. This type of treatment causes less harm to normal cells than chemotherapy or radiation do.
It is not clear what causes ewing sarcoma. But it may be related to noninherited changes in certain genes during a person’s lifetime. These changes may change how the genes work, leading to an overgrowth of cells that can form a tumor.
The outlook for children with ewing sarcoma has improved greatly in recent years. Major advances in treatment have increased survival and reduced the number of side effects. Even so, treatment for ewing sarcoma can be very hard on your child. It may cause long-term side effects, such as problems with memory or learning, that can last for a long time.
Your child’s health care team will monitor your child closely after treatment to watch for late effects from treatment and for signs of the cancer returning. This is important, because recurrent cancer is more difficult to treat than initial cancer that has not spread.
If your child has ewing sarcoma, you can get treatment at St. Jude, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Our doctors are leaders in developing new treatments for childhood cancer, including a variety of clinical trials that can improve outcomes. We offer an unmatched nurse-to-patient ratio, a full range of inpatient and outpatient care, and cutting-edge treatments such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy and proton beam radiation therapy. You and your child will also have access to other specialty services, such as physical and occupational therapy. And we can help your child cope with emotional and social issues that may occur during or after treatment.
