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Dr. Beauchamp describes Ewing's sarcoma.
Dr. Beauchamp:
Ewing’s sarcoma is the third most common bone tumor. It is a tumor of childhood, primarily. It occurs in the first and second decades. It can occur any time in life, but that’s the majority of patients who get Ewing’s sarcoma. It is an aggressive high-grade tumor that has a high metastatic potential; that means it has a high chance of spreading to other parts of the body.
In the days prior to chemotherapy, the survival of that tumor was about five percent. It was a horrible diagnosis. It was usually a fatal diagnosis in children, in childhood. It was initially treated with radiation therapy alone, usually radiation and surgery, ultimately.
Today, with advances in chemotherapy, we have made a huge difference in Ewing’s sarcoma. It’s probably about 8o percent chance of survival. Most patients don’t require an amputation today. So it’s made a huge difference.
Chemotherapy has made a great advance in the management of patients with malignant bone, primary bone tumors. We are not quite there yet that chemotherapy alone is going to take care of the problems. Almost all of those patients require some form of surgery in addition.
About Dr. Beauchamp, M.D.:
Dr. Christopher P. Beauchamp, M.D., is an orthopedic surgery and Associate Professor of Orthopedics at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He focuses specifically on musculoskeletal oncology, adult reconstructive orthopedics, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and infected, failed joint arthroplasty.
Visit Dr. Beauchamp at the Mayo Clinic