Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing Sarcoma Treatment

Your treatment will have two main goals:

• To cure the cancer
• To preserve function of the affected area

Patients with Ewing sarcoma receive a combination of cancer-fighting drugs (chemotherapy) and surgery or radiation. Oncologists usually first prescribe chemotherapy to shrink the tumor and control the spread of the disease.

Next, Mayo Clinic specialists provide advice and counseling to help you make an informed decision about using radiation, surgery, or both to achieve the best overall outcome. Following surgery and/or radiation, doctors typically recommend additional chemotherapy in an effort to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.

Mayo Clinic will efficiently coordinate the involvement of the specialists, and, when possible, treatment will include a chemotherapy plan designed to minimize travel and time spent at the clinic. If appropriate for the medical situation, the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial may be offered.

Saving limbs

Mayo Clinic has significant experience in limb-saving techniques, and if the tumor involves an arm or leg, most of the time the limb can be saved. The possibility of saving the limb depends on the tumor's size and location; whether it has grown into or around a joint, nerves, or blood vessels; and its response to chemotherapy.

There are several types of limb-saving procedures to replace the cancerous bone. These range from using bone from a bone bank to using a patient's own bone or a metal implant. Whether the limb can be saved depends on the extent of the tumor. The tumor's extent, site, and the patient's age also determine the type of procedure used. The team recommends treatment that is best for the specific situation, such as radiation or surgery, or both.