An analysis of Ewing's tumor in children at Roswell Park Memorial Institute

Impact of abdominopelvic CT on Ewing sarcoma management

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) is often performed in patients with skeletal Ewing sarcoma family of tumors during initial staging and for subsequent clinical indications, such as metastasis surveillance; however, its clinical impact is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether these computed tomographic examinations alter oncologic management and therefore patient outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred eight consecutive patients with skeletal Ewing sarcoma family of tumors seen from 1985 to 2008 were retrospectively reviewed to identify imaging workup, pathology, primary site, evidence of metastatic disease, and patient outcomes. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon's rank sum tests.

RESULTS

Sixty-five of the 108 patients (60%) underwent 342 abdominopelvic computed tomographic examinations during a mean follow-up period of 8.9 years. During this time period, only one of the 65 patients (1.5%) who underwent APCT was discovered to have abdominal metastatic disease. There was no significant difference in the incidence of metastatic disease to the skeleton or chest between the groups without and with APCT (P = .10). There were 26 pelvic and lumbosacral primaries (24%) and 82 limb primaries (76%). Subgroup analysis performed on the 82 patients with limb primaries without (n = 36) and with (n = 46) APCT showed no significant differences in metastatic incidence to the skeleton or chest (P = .14).

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that APCT, associated with increased radiation exposure and health expenditure, has a limited role in initial staging and follow-up in patients with skeletal Ewing sarcoma, particularly in patients with limb primaries.

Ewing's sarcoma and primitive neuroectodermal family of tumors

Ewing's sarcoma (ES) initially was believed to be of perivascular endothelial origin. The Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (EFT) includes ES of bone (ESB), extraosseous ES (EES), peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor of bone (pPNET), and malignant small-cell tumor of the thoracopulmonary region, or Askin's tumor, all of which are now known to be neoplasms of neuroectodermal origin. The degree of neuronal differentiation has been used for histopathologic subclassification of the EFT as classical ES (ESB or EES), which is characterized by minimal evidence of neural differentiation, and pPNET, which displays evidence of neural differentiation by standard microscopy, electron microscopy, or immunohistochemistry. Because the behavior, prognosis, and treatment appear to be similar for all subsets of EFT, this histopathologic subclassification may not be clinically significant, though some debate remains whether neural differentiation predicts for inferior outcome.

Orbital Ewing's sarcoma of the orbit

PURPOSE

Ewing's tumor is a primary tumor of bone in childhood that only rarely involves the orbit. Most such cases are metastatic from distant sites. This tumor may be confused with other small round cell malignancies of childhood, and immunohistochemical studies are essential in making the diagnosis.

METHODS

We present two cases of Ewing's tumor of the orbit. One was in a 22-year-old boy with an occult primary tumor in the frontal bone that became symptomatic after forehead trauma. The other example was in a 7-year-old boy with a known Ewing's primary of the clavicle. The clinical manifestations and diagnostic criteria are discussed.

RESULTS

In most cases with orbital involvement, ophthalmic symptoms consist of proptosis, pain, and occasionally visual loss and motility restriction. The diagnosis is typically unsuspected before histologic evaluation. Electron microscopic and immunohistochemical analyses are essential in making the diagnosis and are necessary for all such small round cell tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

Ewing's sarcoma is a rare orbital tumor of bone mainly affecting children. Local treatment relying on surgical extirpation and radiotherapy alone has proven inadequate, with 5-year survival rates of <10%. The addition of chemotherapy has improved survival rates significantly to approximately 50%.

Chemotherapy dose-intensification for pediatric patients with Ewing's family of tumors and desmoplastic small round-cell tumors: a feasibility study at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility of dose-intensification for patients with Ewing's family of tumors (EFT) and desmoplastic small round-cell tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From February 1992 to June 1996, we treated 53 consecutive patients on our Ewing's protocol. Induction comprised three cycles of ifosfamide/etoposide on days 1 to 3 and cyclophosphamide (CTX)/doxorubicin on day 5, followed by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Local control using surgery and/or radiotherapy started at week 9 along with vincristine/dactinomycin. Maintenance included four alternating cycles of ifosfamide/etoposide and doxorubicin/CTX, with randomization to one of two CTX dose levels to determine the feasibility of dose-intensification during maintenance.

RESULTS

Patients had a median age of 13.4 years (range, 4.5 to 24.9 years); 34 patients were male and 43 patients were white. Nineteen patients presented with metastatic disease, 29 had tumors greater than 8 cm in diameter, and 26 had primary bone tumors. These patients received 155 induction cycles, 91% of which resulted in grade 4 neutropenia, 68% in febrile neutropenia, and 68% in grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia. During maintenance, grade 4 neutropenia and grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 81% and 85% of cycles, respectively. Thirty-five patients (66%) completed all therapy, only 13 without significant delays; three developed secondary myeloid malignancies. The toxicity and time to therapy completion were similar in both CTX arms. Estimated 3-year survival and event-free survival were 72%+/-8% and 60%+/-9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Although intensifying therapy seems feasible for 25% of patients on this study, toxicity was considerable. Therefore, the noninvestigational use of dose-intensification in patients with EFT should await assessment of its impact on disease-free survival.

Primary metastatic (stage IV) Ewing tumor: survival analysis of 171 patients from the EICESS studies. European Intergroup Cooperative Ewing Sarcoma Studies

BACKGROUND

In the multicenter European Intergroup Cooperative Ewing's Sarcoma Studies, localized Ewing tumors of bone were treated by combination chemotherapy with surgery and/or radiotherapy. Patients with primary metastases (pm-pts) were treated in high risk protocols.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred seventy-seven pm-pts were registered from January 1990 to December 1995, 171 were evaluable for survival analyses. Thirty-six pm-pts received myeloablative megatherapy with stem cell rescue following conventional treatment. Bilateral whole lung irradiation (WLI) was administered in 57 pm-pts with pulmonary involvement. Event-free survival (EFS) rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Prognostic factors were identified by log-rank statistics, Cox procedures and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine deaths were recorded by 1 February 1997, EFS four years after diagnosis for all 171 pm-pts was 0.27. EFS for isolated lung metastases was 0.34, for bone/bone marrow (BM) metastases, 0.28, and for combined lung plus bone/BM metastases, 0.14 (P < 0.005). WLI improved outcome in case of isolated pulmonary involvement (0.40 vs. 0.19, P < 0.05). In pm-pts with combined pulmonary/skeletal metastases, intensification by megatherapy and/or WLI improved EFS from 0.00 to 0.27 (P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

EFS four years after diagnosis in patients with disseminated Ewing tumors is 0.27. Whole lung irradiation and megatherapy improve outcome in subgroups of patients with disseminated Ewing tumors is 0.27. Whole lung irradiation and megatherapy improve outcome in subgroups of patients with disseminated Ewing disease.

Local control and functional results after twice-daily radiotherapy for Ewing's sarcoma of the extremities

PURPOSE

Radiotherapy (RT) has been the predominant local treatment for Ewing's sarcoma of bone at the University of Florida. Twice-daily hyperfractionated RT was initiated in 1982 to improve local control and functional outcome. This retrospective review compares the results of once-daily vs. twice-daily RT in patients with primary Ewing's sarcoma of an extremity, with emphasis on functional outcome.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Between June 1971 and January 1990, 37 patients were treated at the University of Florida for nonmetastatic Ewing's sarcoma of bone with a primary lesion in an extremity. Three patients underwent amputation. Of 34 patients treated with RT, 31 had RT alone and 3 had a combination of RT and local excision. Before 1982, 14 patients received once-daily RT; since 1982, 17 patients have received twice-daily RT. Doses of once-daily RT varied from 47 to 61 Gy at 1.8-2 Gy per fraction. Doses of twice-daily RT varied, depending on the response of the soft-tissue component of the tumor to chemotherapy, and ranged from 50.4 to 60 Gy at 1.2 Gy per fraction. Some patients in the twice-daily RT group also received total body irradiation 1-3 months after local RT as part of a conditioning regimen before marrow-ablative therapy with stem cell rescue. They received either 8 Gy in two once-daily fractions or 12 Gy in six twice-daily fractions. The six patients who received surgery were excluded from local control analysis. Local control rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier (actuarial) method. Fifteen patients had a formal functional evaluation.

RESULTS

In the 31 patients treated with RT alone, the actuarial local control rate at 5 years was 81% for patients treated twice daily and 77% for those treated once daily (p = NS). No posttreatment pathologic fractures occurred in patients treated twice daily, whereas five fractures occurred in those treated once daily (p = 0.01). On functional evaluation, less loss in range of motion (15 degrees vs. 28 degrees of loss, p = 0.02) and a lesser degree of muscle atrophy (8% vs. 21% loss in muscle circumference, p = 0.0004) occurred with twice-daily than with once-daily RT. A trend toward less fibrosis and less local alopecia was seen in patients treated twice daily. Patients treated twice daily received a higher Musculoskeletal Tumor Society functional rating (determined by the Department of Orthopaedics) than those treated once daily (29.4 vs. 26.0, p = 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS

Local control rates were similar in the two groups (77% vs. 81%), but functional results were superior in the group treated twice daily.

Local control and function after twice-a-day radiotherapy for Ewing's sarcoma of bone

Between February 1982 and December 1987, 39 patients with Ewing's sarcoma of bone have been treated at the University of Florida with a twice-a-day radiotherapy regimen to their primary lesion, 35 with radiation alone and 4 with a combination of radiation and surgery. Although three separate systemic regimens were used (standard risk, 1982-1987 [SR-1]; high-risk, 1982-1984 [HR-2]; and high-risk, 1985-1987 [HR-3]), the radiotherapy regimen remained constant through the years of the study. Those patients whose soft-tissue mass completely regressed after induction chemotherapy received 5040 cGy (as did patients with no soft-tissue mass at diagnosis), those who had 50% or greater resolution of the soft-tissue mass received 5520 cGy, and those who had less than 50% regression of the soft-tissue mass or progressive disease during induction chemotherapy received 6000 cGy. All patients were treated with 120 cGy twice a day and a 6-hr separation between fractions. Thirteen patients also received 800 cGy of total body radiotherapy (TBI) 1 to 3 months after local radiotherapy as part of their systemic treatment. In the 33 patients treated with radiotherapy alone who were eligible for local control analysis, there have been three local failures to date, all within the first 21 months after diagnosis. The 5-year local control rate was 88% for SR-1, 80% for HR-2, and 92% for HR-3. Local control was not related to total dose, but by design, the patients with the largest lesions and the poorest response to chemotherapy had the highest doses. In the 20 patients presenting with extremity primary lesions, there have been no pathologic fractures. In patients evaluated for limb function, the late effects have been minimal. The twice-a-day regimen used appears to produce good local control rates with improved long-term function as compared with once-a-day regimens.

Ewing's sarcoma metastatic at diagnosis. Results and comparisons of two intergroup Ewing's sarcoma studies

Two Pediatric Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma studies of patients with metastatic disease (IESS-MD) have used multimodal therapy consisting of intensive combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy (XRT) to areas of gross disease detected at the time of diagnosis. In IESS-MD-I, conducted from 1975 to 1977, 53 eligible patients were entered and received the chemotherapeutic agents vincristine, Adriamycin (doxorubicin; Adria Laboratories, Columbus, OH), cyclophosphamide, and dactinomycin with concomitant XRT (VACA + XRT). In IESS-MD-II, conducted from 1980 to 1983, 69 eligible patients were entered and received 5-fluorouracil (5FU) in addition to the chemotherapeutic agents of IESS-MD-I; initial intensive chemotherapy was given and XRT was delayed until week 10 (VACA + 5FU, delayed XRT). The best response rate (complete and partial remissions combined) was 73% in IESS-MD-I and 70% in IESS-MD-II, so there was no statistical evidence of a difference in response rates (P = 0.62). The length of best response also was similar between studies (P = 0.79), with approximately 30% of the patients on both studies remaining in remission at 3 years. The percentage of patients surviving 5 years or more was 30 on the first study and 28 on the second study (P = 0.49). The major sites of relapse after a response were lung and bone, each occurring with nearly equal frequency. The age of the patient was related to both best response rate and survival: patients 10 years of age or younger had substantially higher response and survival rates than patients 11 years of age or older. The favorable prognosis for younger patients might be explained by a more favorable distribution of primary sites at diagnosis; 39% of patients 10 years of age or younger had rib primary sites, compared with only 16% for patients older than 10 years of age (P = 0.05). The frequency of life-threatening toxicity was substantially higher in IESS-MD-I (30%) than in IESS-MD-II (9%), but the frequency of fatal toxicity was similar (6% to 7%). Fatal complications included Adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, unspecified pneumonitis, and sepsis. The most common toxicity and complications were leukopenia and infections.

Chest wall resection for Ewing's sarcoma of the rib: an unnecessary procedure

Approximately 10% of all cases of Ewing's sarcoma arise from a rib. Conventional management has included chest wall resection (3 or more ribs) and radiation therapy. These forms of therapy have led to complications such as scoliosis and local deformity. The addition of radiation therapy can result in damage to the lung and adjacent viscera and also potentiate pulmonary restrictive disease. Between 1971 and 1978, 9 patients were treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and combination chemotherapy (three- or four-drug regimen). Only 2 patients (22%) survive. Since 1979, 14 patients were entered into a new protocol consisting of sequential induction chemotherapy, followed by delayed surgical resection whenever feasible. Three patients had complete resection of their primary lesion at onset. Initially, 7 patients had either biopsy (N = 4) or incomplete chest wall resection N = 3). All 4 patients with biopsy only at diagnosis had excellent responses to induction chemotherapy, allowing delayed resection of the involved rib without chest wall resection. Overall, 12 of 14 patients (86%) treated since 1979 survive, with only 2 receiving radiation therapy for residual disease in the primary rib site.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma involving the bones of the head and neck

Ewing's sarcoma is a rare tumor of the bone. In the Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study (IESS) approximately 4% of the primary bone tumors arose in the bones of the head and neck. The mean age of patients was 10.9 years; boys slightly dominated the group. Signs and symptoms were local in distribution, with a mass or swelling most frequent. As in other sites, we categorized the dominant histologic pattern as diffuse or filigree, the latter carrying a more unfavorable prognosis. The radiographic appearance may be atypical as compared to Ewing's sarcoma at other sites. Prognosis of head and neck Ewing's is significantly better than Ewing's sarcoma overall. The gnathic bones were commonly affected, yet there was no associated mortality. No patient with primary disease in the bones of the head and neck who survived for 5 years on any of the IESS protocols has subsequently died.

Ewing's sarcoma

This patient had Ewing's sarcoma of the femur, which was originally misinterpreted by radiograph and by biopsy as osteomyelitis. For approximately 1 year the patient was treated for osteomyelitis. The lesion was slowly progressive and near the end of the first year became more active, and pulmonary metastases appeared. The natural behavior of this one case of Ewing's sarcoma demonstrates that it is not necessarily an overwhelmingly aggressive tumor. In addition, the point is made that pathologists should pay careful attention to necrotic material so that the suggestion of necrotic tumor can be made rather than dismissing the biopsy as nondiagnostic.

Extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma: a clinical, morphological and ultrastructural analysis of five cases with a review of the literature

In 1969 it was recognised that tumors with light microscopic appearances indistinguishable from Ewing's sarcoma of bone may arise in extraskeletal sites (extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma). Here, we review the available literature and report five new cases. All five received combined modality therapy with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the primary site followed by surgical excision in two. All attained complete remission; after a median follow-up of 26 months, three remain disease-free but two have relapsed and died. Our experience, in accord with previous series, suggests that extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma compared with its bony counterpart tends to occur in older subjects, has a similar incidence in males and females, usually presents with a painless mass and readily responds to combined modality therapy. We detected no light or electron microscopic features to denote a histogenetic origin. However, we suspect extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma may occur more frequently than previously supposed.

The value of adjuvant chemotherapy in the management of sarcomas in children

Sarcomas of childhood rank fifth in incidence of malignant tumors in children younger than 15 years. Among the soft tissue sarcomas, approximately 50% are rhabdomyosarcomas. The remainder represent a heterogeneous group of diverse sarcomas which are not unique to children and include fibrosarcoma, synoviosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, malignant schwannoma, angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and others. The most common bone cancers in childhood are osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma. Although a multidisciplinary approach utilizing surgery, irradiation, and combination chemotherapy is routinely used in management of virtually all children with solid tumors, the value of adjuvant chemotherapy in select bone and rare soft tissue sarcomas is currently being tested. Multiagent chemotherapy including vincristine, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and Adriamycin (doxorubicin) contribute to cure rates in 65% to 75% of children with localized rhabdomyosarcoma, Stages I to III, when combined with surgery and/or irradiation. Other drugs which hold promise include platinum, DTIC, methotrexate, and VP-16. The efficacy of similar drugs in the rarer pediatric soft tissue sarcomas other than rhabdomyosarcoma and its variants requires prospective randomized trials evaluating histologic grade, tumor size, and nodal status. It has been suggested that the high-grade sarcomas presenting with minimal tumor bulk are most sensitive to combined radiotherapy-chemotherapy, whereas the low-grade sarcomas are more resistant to such therapy. Tumor cell heterogeneity contributes to biologic diversity and response to treatment. Chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy to irradiation is currently recommended and utilized for Ewing's sarcoma with survival rates approaching 80%, and disease-free survival of approximately 75% for those with localized disease. Children with widespread and metastatic disease at presentation fare less well. Although multiple single agents exhibit response rates ranging from 40% to 60%, including cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, dactinomycin, BCNU, mithramycin, and 5-fluorouracil, new and more effective agents are needed. Controversy regarding the value of multiagent chemotherapy in osteosarcoma has stimulated prospective randomized trials. Evaluation of local control rates as well as sites and occurrence of metastases are essential in assessing the contribution of aggressive combined modality therapy in the pediatric sarcomas. Emphasis on refinement of therapy in determining the risk/benefit ratio from adjuvant chemotherapy in pediatric sarcomas is mandatory. Enhancement of early local reactions is apparent when adjuvant chemotherapy is used with local radiotherapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Sequential half-body irradiation (SHBI) and combination chemotherapy as salvage treatment for failed Ewing's sarcoma--a pilot study

This study was undertaken to evaluate the toxicity of sequential half-body irradiation (SHBI) and combination chemotherapy (5-FU, VM-26 and BCNU) in patients who had failed primary aggressive therapy for their Ewing's sarcoma. A secondary goal was to evaluate the response of these previously treated patients to the combination of systemic radiation and multi-agent chemotherapy. The first patient in the study was treated with SHBI only and died 139 days following retreatment. Four subsequent patients successfully received the first cycle of combination chemotherapy. However, only one completed both upper and lower half-body irradiation while the remaining three patients, because of rapid progression of their disease, completed either the upper or the lower portion of their half-body irradiation (HBI). The time from retreatment to disease progression in these four patients ranged from 45 to 97 days (mean 79 days) and the time from retreatment to death ranged from 72 to 193 days (mean 126 days). The combination chemotherapy was tolerated well by all the patients, and the SHBI was accompanied by mild nausea and some vomiting within the first few hours following treatment. Failure to give the second half of the half-body irradiation and to complete further chemotherapy in three of the patients was a result of the progressive nature of the patients' disease and not to any limitations imposed by poor blood counts. Half-body irradiation provided good pain relief within 24 hours for all of the patients. Systemic radiation contributes to the palliative treatment of patients with failed Ewing's sarcoma, but appears to be relatively ineffective when the tumor burden is high.

Intensive systemic chemotherapy in localized Ewing's sarcoma in childhood. A historical trial

To assess the value in Ewing's sarcoma of a new multiagent therapy (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, (doxorubicin) procarbazine), 30 children with a localized tumor (eight distal, nine proximal, 13 central lesions) treated at the Institut Gustave-Roussy between 1973 and 1976 (E3), were pair-matched by site of primary with 30 control patients treated without intensive chemotherapy between 1967 and 1972 (E1) at the same institution, both groups having the same local radiotherapy. Actuarial survival and disease-free survival rates at six years were significantly higher in E3 at P less than 0.01, respectively, 58% and 49% versus 25% in E1. The prognostic value of the primary site was ascertained only in children under chemotherapy. In this group there were six early relapses with death within 14 months and nine late relapses at 21 to 38 months. Among these nine patients, six died, one is living with disease, and two are currently alive in second remission. Fifteen patients are continuously free of disease 50 to 90 months after first treatment (median, 69 months): functional sequelae are minimal in six, moderate in seven, and severe in two children with limb amputation. It is concluded that in future treatments chemotherapy must be intensified and begun prior to local treatment which has to be reevaluated for radiation modalities and for radical surgery indication.

Ewing tumor of rib: radiologic findings and computed tomography contribution

The ribs are frequent sites of primary Ewing tumor accounting for about 10-12% of all cases. The lesions may be predominantly lytic or sclerotic or show a combination of bone destruction and secondary reactive changes. In some patients bony changes are subtle and are obscured initially by frequently associated large extrapleural masses or pleural fluid. These patients may present clinically with findings secondary to compression of mediastinal structures by the soft tissue masses. Computed tomography (CT) is of great value in the diagnosis of such difficult cases and better demonstrates the tumor extent and relationships than other available imaging modalities. CT is also of considerable help in determining the optimal time for en bloc tumor resection. Many tumors are initially considered non-resectable due to extensive involvement of the lung, the mediastinum, or the diaphragm. CT accurately documents tumor regression during preoperative courses of chemotherapy.

The treatment of localized Ewing's sarcoma: the experience at the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli in 163 cases treated with and without adjuvant chemotherapy

Eighty consecutive patients with localized Ewing's tumor treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for two years plus local tumor control were retrospectively reviewed. Adjuvant chemotherapy protocol was constant for all patients, but local treatment consisted of amputation, resection (complete or incomplete) plus radiotherapy, or radiotherapy alone. The follow-up ranged from 21--101 months (mean = 50 months). The mortality rate and incidence of metastasis were significantly lower than in a comparable group of 83 patients previously treated by radiotherapy, or surgery plus radiotherapy but without chemotherapy. The percentage of local recurrence was not significantly different between the two groups. Of the patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, the percentage of local recurrence and metastases was much lower when the primary lesion was located in the extremities and when this lesion was treated by conservative surgery followed by irradiation. This was also true when the resection was not complete. Little discrepancy in functional results was observed using either resection plus radiotherapy or radiotherapy alone. The above data suggest that in treating Ewing's sarcoma, conservative surgery, even incomplete, can play an important role when associated with radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Ewing's sarcoma: A combined approach in the management

Twenty-seven histologically confirmed cases of localised Ewing's sarcoma were treated by two different regimes. Radiotherapy alone was used in 13 cases and a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in 14. Single agent chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide) was given sequentially in nine patients and cyclophosphamide and actinomycin-D in five. There is a significant difference in the response to these different regimes. Only 69.2% of patients treated by radiotherapy alone were disease-free, for a median period of 10.4 months and metastases were noticed in 53.8% of cases. The disease-free survival in patients treated by combination therapy (radiotherapy and chemotherapy) was 18.4 months and metastases were seen in only 42.9%. However, no metastases were seen in patients who received cyclophosphamide and actinomycin-D, during a period of 14 months and only one patient showed residual disease. It is concluded that the addition of cyclophosphamide alone is not adequate in the management of Ewing's sarcoma. Actinomycin-D in addition to cyclophosphamide has improved the disease-free survival period significantly. The optimum dose of radiotherapy and its combination with other chemotherapeutic agents needs further trials to find the best and most suitable schedule.

Lumbar epidural Ewing sarcoma. Light and electron microscopic investigation

The clinicopathological findings in a child with extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma are described. The patient complained of pain in the lower back and difficulty walking. An extraskeletal, epidural, friable tumor, 2-3 cm long was removed from the epidural space. It had no relationship with the bone structures. Light and electron microscopic examination of the tumor led to the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma. The morphological aspects of this neoplasia and the problem of the differential diagnosis with other small cell tumors of the epidural space are discussed.

Ewing's sarcoma of the mandible

Ewing's sarcoma is an uncommon neoplasm that primarily occurs in the long bones of the lower and upper extremities. Only 2% involve the mandible, and the maxilla is involved one eighth as often as the mandible. The most common site of metastases is the lung. Increasing pain is the most common presenting symptom. A case of mandibular involvement is presented. The combination of a large, soft tissue mass adjacent to an area of bone destruction in a young male should suggest the diagnosis. The previously poor five- and ten-year survival rates of 8 and 4% respectively, may have promise of marked improvement. This improvement lies in a changing philosophy of treatment. Four-drug chemotherapy combined with prophylactic whole-lung irradiation has been added to local irradiation of the tumor bed. Five-year survival figures of 20 to 30% appear obtainable. Although extensive surgical resection of the primary tumor in the long bones has for the most part been replaced by local irradiation for control, surgery in mandibular cases may still be the treatment of choice.

Localized primary intracranial Ewing's sarcoma of the orbital roof. Case report

A rare case of a primary Ewing's sarcoma arising from the intracranial portion of the right orbital roof is presented. Clinical presentation was that of a rapidly growing tender exostosis, associated with headaches. History indicated that the tumor may have been present for more than 1 year. Skull x-rays showed marked diastasis of the coronal suture and a "mottled" appearance on the right frontal bone suggestive of a sarcoma. Bone scan further confirmed the presence of a malignant bone tumor. Computerized tomography scan showed the intracranial extension of the tumor and a follow-up scan allowed us to see the response of the tumor to therapy. Only two other cases with details as to intracranial localization were found in the literature.

Ewing'S sarcoma: a clinical analysis of forty-six cases treated at Henry ford hospital

Our paper describes the clinical features, roentgenographic manifestations, pathology and the results of various modalities of treatments of 46 cases of Ewing's sarcoma seen and treated at Henry Ford Hospital during the past 36 years. Surgery alone (4 cases) produced a 25% five-year survival rate, whereas radiotherapy alone (33 cases) yielded only a 3% five-year survival rate. Radiotherapy plus chemotherapy (9 cases) have proven to be far superior than radiotherapy alone. The overall five-year survival rate of our series is only 7%.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the sternum: a case report

A 12 1/2-year-old female presented with Ewing's sarcoma of the manubrium sterni which extended into the anterior mediastinum. At presentation there was no evidence of metastatic disease. Her initial treatment consisted of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The residual tumor was subsequently resected and the sternal defect was repaired with Marlex mesh. Postoperatively, she was maintained on chemotherapy consisting of BCNU, cyclophosphamide, and adriamycin. The adriamycin was discontinued after she developed sterile fibrinous pericarditis. She remains free of her disease two years after diagnosis. Although extremely rare, Ewing's does occur in the sternum and this area is amenable to wide local resection without severe functional disability.

Curability of Ewing's sarcoma and considerations for future therapeutic trials

Twenty previously untreated children with primary Ewing's sarcoma and 8 children with primary tumor and metastatic disease were treated with surgery or radiation therapy (6,000-7,000 rads) for their primary tumor and T-2 chemotherapy. Of the 20 children with primary Ewing's sarcoma treated with T-2 "adjuvant" chemotherapy, 15 had no evidence of recurrent disease for from 31+-82+ months (median 46+ months) from the start of treatment. The actuarial 5-year disease-free survival rate for this group of patients was 75%. Eight patients presenting with metastatic disease had complete responses to T-2 chemotherapy, but 7/8 with metastatic disease eventually had tumor recurrence. Examination of the treatment failures, both those patients relapsing after adjuvant chemotherapy for primary Ewing's sarcoma (5), and those relapsing after having a complete response of metastatic disease (7) to T-2 chemotherapy, revealed that all relapses occurred at the end of the second year of T-2 chemotherapy or after chemotherapy was stopped. In addition, of 23 patients receiving "curative" radiation therapy to their primary tumor, 5 had local recurrence (22%) and 6 (26%) had severe functional debility secondary to combined radiation therapy and T-2 chemotherapy. The conclusions drawn from this experience have led us to consider a new approach to the treatment of Ewing's sarcoma, namely: 1) more aggressive initial or "induction" chemotherapy with subsequent T-2 "maintenance" chemotherapy to eradicate more completely all metastatic microfoci of disease presumed to be present in patients with primary tumor at the time of diagnosis, and ostensively present in patients with metastatic disease; 2) the use of surgery alone or in combination with moderate doses of radiation therapy in those patients in whom we can predict a high frequency of local recurrence (pelvic lesions) or a high percentage of "functional failures" (young children with lower extremity lesions). Preliminary results with this latter approach are encouraging with 11/13 patients with primary Ewing's sarcoma free of disease at 12+-26+ months. A longer follow-up of this more aggressive treatment is needed to determine the superiority of this approach for both increased survival and improved late physical rehabilitation.

Metastatic Ewing sarcoma to the heart simulating adriamycin cardiotoxicity

A 20-year-old man with metastatic Ewing Sarcoma developed severe congestive heart failure. Because he had been treated with a large amount of Adriamycin, the diagnosis was initially thought to be Adriamycin cardiotoxicity. However, ante- and post-mortem studies revealed the presence of massive cardiac metastases. At post-mortem, there was no evidence of Adriamycin cardiotoxicity. This case emphasizes that cardiac metastases must be considered in the differential diagnosis of heart failure in patients treated with Adriamycin.

Ewing's tumour: uncommon presentation of an uncommon tumour

A case of Ewing's sarcoma presenting with high cervical cord compression is described and disseminated disease was present at the time of diagnosis. A combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy did not result in a cure. The current treatment of Ewing's sarcoma is briefly reviewed.

Radiation in bone sarcomas: a re-evaluation in the era of intensive systemic chemotherapy

We have reviewed the literature and described experience in treating Ewing's sarcoma and osteosarcoma before and during the era of intensive systemic chemotherapy. Local control of Ewing's sarcoma may relate to increasing doses of radiation, especially when intensive chemotherapy is administered also. Problems of radiation enhancement by chemotherapy have caused us to reconsider time-dose and volume parameters in treating these patients. The role of radiation in osteogenic sarcoma is limited to patients with inoperable lesions and metastases.

Improved outlook for Ewing's sarcoma with combination chemotherapy (vincristine, actinomycin D and cyclophosphamide) and radiation therapy

Vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide (VAC) were administered to 14 patients with Ewing's sarcoma. The primary tumors were treated with radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy. Nine patients had no visible metastases at diagnosis: two died following the development of pulmonary metastases and the rest have been free of disease for periods varying from 4 months to 4 1/2 years following completion of treatment. This contrasts with a 27% survival in patients previously treated at this center with single agent chemotherapy. Five other patients had demonstrable metastases at diagnosis: VAC chemotherapy achieved complete regression of pulmonary metastases in three for 9, 9+ and 24+ months, respectively. Following disappearance of tumor in the latter two, pulmonary irradiation was administered in an attempt to consolidate the response, but tumor recurred 6 months later. These patients eventually died of widespread disease although survival appeared prolonged in comparison to that seen in past experience. Chemotherapy was well tolerated, although three patients developed hemorrhagic cystitis, necessitating discontinuation of cyclophosphamide. The data suggest the potential for prolonged control and an increase in the cure rate with this therapeutic approach.

[The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of malignant bone tumors (author's transl)]

The role of radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy in the primary treatment of osteogenic sarcomas and of Ewing's sarcoma is reviewed. In osteosarcoma radiotherapy can take the form of prophylactic total irradiation of the lung, but preoperative irradiation of the primary tumor has not proved successful. On the other hand, in Ewing's sarcoma primary and local irradiation is the therapy of choice, and is followed by adjuvant polychemotherapy over a long period.

Role of therapeutic radiology in cancer of bone

Management of patients with Ewing's sarcoma has been discussed with reference to the need to achieve an excellent local result from radiation therapy now that patients are experiencing long-term survival. The technique of biopsy is important: small scar; located within treatment portal; positioning such that there is a good connective tissue bed (e.g. not immediately overlying bone); tissue obtained from soft tissue component and no cortical bone removed. Radiation therapy technique is based upon: special shaping of the irradiated volume to correspond to estimate distribution of tumor; distribution of dose in accordance with tumor cell number (progressive field reduction); precision setup of patient each day; and high total dose (6000-6600 rads in 6-6.6 weeks). This treatment is to be given in combination with multidrug multicycle chemotherapy. For osteosarcoma, special attention was given to lesions of mandible, where preoperative irradiation and hemimandibulectomy appears to be much more effective than surgery alone.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children

In a study of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children, 104 children were treated and followed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1964 throughout June 1974. Forty-three patients, previously treated and untreated, received a nonspecific group of various chemotherapeutic agents and attained an 11% disease-free survival rate. A second group of 18 previously untreated patients, who received a chemotherapeutic regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide alone, achieved a 33% disease-free survival rate. The last group, 43 previously untreated patients (77% of whom had far advanced disease and 86% of whom had diffuse histological types) who received a new and intensive multiple-drug regimen (the LSA2-L2 protocol) consisting of induction, consolidation, and maintenance phases, has maintained an 81% disease-free survival rate after a median observation time of 21+ months. Although nervous system involvement and recurrence or metastases at any time are poor prognostic factors, initial marrow involvement and the amount of bulky disease are no longer considered negative prognosticators when intensive treatment is initiated immediately after diagnosis, is continued for 2--3 years, and includes radiation therapy to sites of bulky disease and CNS prophylaxis. The LS2-L2 treatment is effective in accomplishing the dual aims of not only increasing the numbers of disease-free patients but also prolonging their survival.