This is the second most common bone cancer in adolescents and young adults, occurring usually in those between 5 and 20 years of age. It may also occur in soft tissue (extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma). A more differentiated or mature form of this tumor can develop in either bone or soft tissue, especially in the chest wall, and is called a peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor.
Symptoms The most typical sign of the disease is persistent bone pain in one place, most commonly in an extremity, the pelvis or rib.
Diagnosis and Staging Bone x-rays and CT or MRI scans can strongly suggest a diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma, but definitive diagnosis depends on a biopsy . Chromosome analysis of tumor tissue is sometimes helpful in establishing the diagnosis.
A bone scan , bone marrow analysis, a CT scan of the chest and, perhaps, an MRI scan of the brain are necessary to determine the extent of disease.
Treatment by Stage
Localized
The tumor has not spread beyond the site of origin.
