health

Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare type of cancer in which a malignant tumor forms
in the bone or in soft tissues near the bone. Usually, these tumors appear in
the middle of the upper arm or upper leg bone, although they may show
up elsewhere in the body, such as the ribs or the hip bones. People with this
disease usually experience pain, tenderness, and/or swelling at site of the
tumor. Sometimes, however, individuals have a tumor for many months
before they have any pain or swelling. Ewing’s sarcoma is a dangerous cancer,
because it can spread to other areas of the body. A number of treatments
are available and can be quite successful, especially if doctors find
the tumors and diagnosed Ewing’s sarcoma early and before it has spread.
Some medical professionals once used the name primitive neuroectodermal
(ner-o-ek-toe-DERM-ul) tumor (PNET), sometimes called
peripheral neuroepithelioma, when referring to Ewing’s sarcoma, but
while PNET is similar to Ewing’s sarcoma, it is not the same. As of 2009,
medical professionals refer to PNET as being in the “Ewing’s family of
tumors” (EFT) or a “tumor of the Ewing’s family” (TEF). According to
the American Cancer Society, Ewing’s sarcoma is by far the most common
tumor in this family, and it makes up 87 percent of TEFs.