Ewing sarcoma
Meaning of Ewing sarcoma: Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive childhood and adolescent cancer of bone or soft tissue, marked by a characteristic chromosomal translocation involving the EWSR1 gene.
Definition of Ewing sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that most often arises in bone, particularly the long bones, pelvis, and chest wall, though it can also develop in soft tissue outside of bone. It occurs most frequently in children, adolescents, and young adults.
The tumor is defined by a characteristic genetic change, a translocation in which parts of two chromosomes break off and rejoin in an abnormal arrangement, most often involving the EWSR1 gene. Common symptoms include localized bone pain and swelling, sometimes accompanied by fever, and the affected area may be mistaken initially for an injury or infection.
Tumors that were once classified separately, including a type called peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor, share this same underlying genetic change and are now generally grouped together with Ewing sarcoma as part of a single family of related tumors. Treatment typically combines chemotherapy with surgery, radiation, or both.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Imaging and biopsy of the persistent bone pain confirmed a diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma.
Good to know
Bone pain from Ewing sarcoma is sometimes initially mistaken for a sports injury or infection, since early imaging findings and symptoms can resemble those more common and less serious causes.