Ewing sarcoma occurs in the bone or the soft tissue close to the bone, most often in adolescents between the age of 10 and 20. It occurs in about one teenager in 50,000 and accounts for about 30 percent of bone cancers in children. This cancer most often is found in the arms and legs, particularly the thighbone. It also may involve muscle and soft tissues surrounding the tumor.

Ewing sarcoma cells can spread or metastasize to other areas of the body, including other bones, bone marrow and lungs. Prior to adolescence, the number of boys and girls affected by Ewing sarcoma is equal. After adolescence, however, the number of men with the disease is slightly higher than women. This may be due to the increased rate of growth among males during adolescence (very speculative.)

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination of your child, diagnostic procedures for Ewing sarcoma will include an X-ray examination of the painful area. There may be multiple additional diagnostic tests such as:

•Bone scans – A nuclear imaging method to detect bone diseases and tumors and determine the cause of bone pain or inflammation.
•Computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan – With the help of computers, X-rays produce images of thin cross sections of the body to provide more detail than conventional X-rays. CT scans often are used to supplement other diagnostic X-rays. After the diagnosis is made, a CT scan of the chest is essential to look for any spread of the disease to the lungs.

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