Treatment and outcomes of Ewing sarcoma in Turkish adults: a single centre experience

Surgical treatment of pediatric thoracic Ewing tumors

Background

This study aims to determine the thoracic surgery techniques, surgical indications, the role and effectiveness of surgical treatment in multimodal treatment applied to pediatric Ewing sarcoma patients.

Methods

Between A pril 2004 a nd November 2020, a total of 15 pediatric patients ( 9 males, 6 females; mean age: 10.1±4.5 years; range, 3 to 18 years) who were diagnosed with primary thoracic Ewing sarcoma and operated were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor-related factors and treatment modalities for Ewing sarcoma originating from the chest wall and mediastinum were examined.

Results

The most common complaint was pain in nine patients. While the tumor originated from the ribs in nine patients, it originated from the soft tissue (n=2), mediastinum (n=2), and extra-thoracic tissue (n=2) in six patients. Complete resection was achieved in 10 patients. While neoadjuvant chemotherapy was applied to eight patients, chemotherapy and radiotherapy was applied to 14 and five patients, respectively. Bone marrow transplantation was performed in one patient. The mean follow-up was 54.2±44.9 months. Recurrence was seen in six patients in a mean duration of 17.8±7.4 months.

Conclusion

The most effective treatment for thoracic Ewing sarcoma is complete resection. Multimodal therapy in the form of surgical resection, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy provides optimal efficacy and the most favorable survival. The follow-up period should be kept short, since recurrences are common.

Ewing sarcoma of the jejunum: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Ewing sarcomas (ESs) are highly aggressive malignancy and are predominant in the long bones of extremities of children and young adults with a slight male predilection and rarely presents at extra skeletal locations.

CASE SUMMARY

A 55-year-old woman came to our hospital after finding elevated tumor biomarkers during her physical examination. Her enhanced computed tomography scan showed a jejunal mass. The patient underwent laparoscopic enterectomy. The mass was later diagnosed as ES, evidenced by fluorescence in situ hybridization whereby the GLP ES breakpoint region 1 probe was used, showing that more than 10% of the cells showed a red-green-yellow signal proving the breakpoint rearrangement of the ES breakpoint region 1 gene in chromosome 22.

CONCLUSION

We describe a case of localized ES at the jejunum in China based on the literature.

Impact of chemotherapy cycles and intervals on outcomes of nonspinal Ewing sarcoma in adults: a real-world experience

BACKGROUND

Adult Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare disease, the optimal treatment model is unknown. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze treatment-related prognostic factors of nonspinal ES in Chinese adults.

METHODS

Eighty-one patients treated between January 2005 and December 2017 were included in the present study. Thirty-three (40.7%) presented with metastatic disease at diagnosis. Eight patients were submitted to primary surgery followed by chemotherapy, while 73 patients received chemotherapy before and after surgery and/or local radiotherapy. The chemotherapy regimen included 8-17 cycles of vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (VDC) alternating with ifosfamide and etoposide (IE) every 3 weeks. Clinical outcomes and safety were analyzed.

RESULTS

VDC/IE chemotherapy was well tolerated in adult patients with ES. Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that chemotherapy of at least 12 cycles was a favorable independent prognostic factor of event-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.558; 95% confidence interval, 0.323-0.965; P = 0.037) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.424; 95% confidence interval, 0.240-0.748; P = 0.003). Similarly, a low frequency of chemotherapy delays was an independent prognostic factor of improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.438; 95% confidence interval, 0.217-0.887; P = 0.022).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that adults with ES should be treated with an aggressive multidisciplinary approach, intensive chemotherapy with adequate cycles and appropriate intervals can be recommended in this group.

Like or Dislike? Impact of Facebook on Ewing Sarcoma Treatment

Background

An increasing number of patients are raising their voices in online forums to exchange health-related information. Facebook is the leading social media platform with more than 1 billion international daily users recorded in the summer of 2015. Facebook has a dynamic audience and is utilized in a number of ways, discussing medical issues being one of them. Ewing sarcoma mainly affects teenagers and young adults. Additionally, many individuals within this age group are regular users of Facebook. However, little is known about the impact of this modern way of communication via Web-based platforms on patients with Ewing sarcoma and their social environment.

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare Ewing sarcoma patients’ and relatives’ behavior on Facebook to draw conclusions regarding the impact of Facebook on Ewing sarcoma treatment.

Methods

We examined a Facebook group named “Ewing Sarcoma Awareness” that is used to exchange information for both patients and relatives regarding Ewing sarcoma. A self-designed questionnaire was used to compare patients’ and relatives’ answers. Additionally, we analyzed all processes (posts, likes, threads, links) in the group for 6 consecutive months. A total of 65 members of the Facebook group (26 patients, 39 relatives) out of 2227 international group members participated in our study.

Results

More than 70% (46/65) of all participants reported that they use the group Ewing Sarcoma Awareness as a source of information about Ewing sarcoma. Of the participants, 89% (58/65) agreed on our scale from a little to a lot that being in contact with other affected people through the group makes it easier to handle the diagnosis. In this study, 20% (13/65) of all participants reported that the group affected their choice of treatment and 15% (10/65) of participants were influenced in the selection of their specialist. Regarding the recommendation of the Facebook group toward other people, significant differences (P=.003) were found comparing patients’ and relatives’ results. During the last 6 months most activities in the group concerned sharing destiny and handling the diagnosis.

Conclusions

The Facebook group Ewing Sarcoma Awareness has a relevant impact on group members regarding their choice of treatment. Moreover, participants turn toward the group to receive mental and emotional support in everyday life. Statements made within the group are in part questionable from a medical point of view and the impact made by these statements on patients’ care requires further evaluation.

Outcomes of 50 Patients With Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors Treated at a Single Institution in Taiwan

To identify the prognostic factors and long-term outcome of the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT), data on 50 patients with ESFT treated at Taipei Veterans General Hospital between February 1991 and March 2014 were retrospectively considered. The influence of patient demographics, tumor features, and clinical and therapeutic parameters on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were assessed. The results revealed that 21 of the 50 patients (42%) were metastatic at diagnosis. The median follow-up time was 1.8 years. The 5-year OS and PFS for patients who were nonmetastatic were 61.6% and 55.5%, respectively, and 18.8% and 15.4% for patients who were metastatic, respectively. The key adverse prognostic factor was metastasis at diagnosis. Radiotherapy for local control was associated with improved PFS. The high rate of primary metastasis and poorer outcomes of nonmetastatic ESFT compared with results from Western studies, along with previously reported low rates of ESFT in Taiwanese people, suggest that genetic factors play a role in the pathogenesis of ESFT and chemotherapy pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Radiotherapy in local treatment should be considered more aggressively in Taiwanese patients with ESFT.

A case of small bowel metastasis from spinal Ewing sarcoma causing intussusception in an adult female

Background

Ewing sarcomas are highly aggressive malignant tumours occurring predominantly in the long bones of the extremities in children and young adults. About 20 % of patients will present with metastases at diagnosis with the commonest sites being the lungs, bone and bone marrow. Cases of primary small bowel Ewing sarcomas have been described but are nonetheless exceedingly rare, even more so cases of metastasis to the small bowel.

Case Presentation

We describe a case of vertebral Ewing sarcoma in a 44 year-old female which metastasized to the jejunum causing intussusception.

Conclusions

Ewing’s sarcoma is highly aggressive and presence of metastases, overt or subclinical, is thought to be present in almost all patients at diagnosis. As evidenced by our patient, metastatic disease can progress rapidly to cause further complications and confer a poorer survival. The possibility of metastasis, no matter how rare or unlikely the site is, should be considered and actively investigated to expedite treatment of the primary disease.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor/ewing sarcoma presenting with pulmonary nodular lesions

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) and Ewing sarcoma (EWS) belong to the same family of malignant, small, round cell neoplasms of soft tissue or bone origin. EWS-PNETs that arise in the lung parenchyma involvement are extremely rare in adults. A case of a 32-year-old male presenting with chest pain and diffuse pulmonary nodules on chest X-ray and diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma-PNETs will be presented here.

Survival of patients with Ewing's sarcoma in Yazd-Iran

BACKGROUND

The Ewing's sarcoma family is a group of small round cell tumors which accounts for 10-15% of all primary bone neoplasms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival of Ewing's sarcoma patients in our province and to determine of influencing factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All patients with documented Ewing's sarcoma/ primitive neuroectodermal tumor(PNET) family pathology were enrolled in this study during a period of eight years. For all of them local and systemic therapy were carried out. Overall and event free survival and prognostic factors were evaluated.

RESULTS

Thirty two patients were enrolled in the study. The median age was 17.5 years. Twenty (65.2%) were male and 9 (28.1%) were aged 14 years or less. Mean disease free survival was 26.8 (95%CI; 13.8-39.9) months and five year disease free survival was 26%. Mean overall survival was 38.7 months (95%CI; 25.9-50.6) and median overall survival was 24 months. Five year overall survival was 25%. From the variables evaluated , only presence of metastatic disease at presentation (p value=0. 028) and complete response (p value =0. 006) had significant relations to overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Survival of Ewing's sarcoma in our province is disappointing. It seems to be mostly due to less effective treatment. Administration of adequate chemotherapy dosage, resection of tumor with negative margins and precise assessment of irradiation volume may prove helpful.