Ewing Sarcoma

What is it?

Ewing sarcoma is a cancer of the bones or soft tissues. It is most common in the pelvis and the long bones of the arms and legs, but it can also occur in the other bones

Symptoms

When in spine, Ewing sarcoma often causes pain at the site of the tumor, followed by a palpable swelling. If the tumor grows large enough to compress the spinal cord, neurological symptoms such as weakness, clumsiness, or tingling may develop in the arms and legs.

Diagnosis

Ewing sarcoma can occur anywhere in the body and its symptoms are nonspecific, or similar to the symptoms of many other problems. This disease is often misdiagnosed at first. The following diagnostic options are available to confirm the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma: X-ray, MRI scan, CT scan, PET (positron emission tomography) scan, bone scan, and biopsy.

Treatment

Ewing sarcoma is treated with a combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and sometimes radiation therapy. The goal of surgical treatment is complete tumor removal. Depending on the location of the tumor, different portions of the vertebrae may need to be removed. To maintain spinal stability after sections of bone have been removed, it is usually necessary to perform an instrumented spinal fusion.