Ewing Sarcoma: Treatment Choices

There are various treatment choices for Ewing sarcoma. Which may work best? It depends on a number of factors. These include the type, size, and location of the cancer, whether it has spread to other parts of the body, and your child's age and overall health.

Learning about your treatment options

You may have questions and concerns about your child's treatment options. You may also want to know how your child will feel and function after treatment. You may also want to know if he or she will have to change his or her normal activities.

Your child's healthcare provider is the best person to answer your questions. He or she can tell you what the treatment choices are, how successful they’re expected to be, and what the risks and side effects are. Your child's healthcare provider may suggest a specific treatment. Or he or she may offer more than one, and ask you to decide which one you’d like to use. It can be hard to make this decision. It’s important to take the time you need to make the best decision.

Deciding on the best plan may take some time. Talk with your child’s healthcare provider about how much time you can take to explore your options. You may want to get another opinion before deciding on your child’s treatment plan. In fact, some insurance companies may require a second opinion. You may also want to involve your family and friends in this process.

Understanding the goals of treatment for Ewing sarcoma

The main goal in treating Ewing sarcoma is to try to cure the cancer. If cure isn’t possible, treatment may shrink the cancer or keep it under control for as long as possible. Treatment can also improve quality of life. It does this by helping to control the symptoms of the disease. The goals of treatment can include one or more of these things:

• Remove the main tumor

• Remove or destroy tumors in other parts of your body

• Stop or slow the growth or spread of cancer cells

• Prevent or delay the cancer from coming back

• Ease symptoms from the cancer, such as pain or pressure on organs

Types of treatment for Ewing sarcoma

Several types of treatment can be used for Ewing sarcoma. In most cases, your child’s healthcare provider will suggest combinations of treatment to make sure all of the cancer cells have been removed or destroyed.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy (chemo) is often the first treatment for Ewing sarcoma. The goal of chemo is to kill cancer cells and stop cancer from growing or spreading. It does this by using medicines to either kill the cells or stop them from dividing. The medicines are given into the bloodstream so they can reach cancer cells throughout the body. Chemo is an important part of the treatment for Ewing sarcoma. This is because even if it looks like the cancer is still just in the bone, cancer cells have often already spread to other parts of the body.

Surgery

Surgery is another important part of the treatment for Ewing sarcoma. It’s often done after chemo (and sometimes radiation). The goal of surgery is to remove the entire tumor and any cancer cells that may have spread to nearby tissue. Surgery might also be used to treat cancer that’s spread to other parts of the body in some cases.

Radiation therapy

The goal of radiation is to kill cancer cells. To do this, it uses high-energy X-rays to kill the cancer cells. It might be used before surgery to help shrink the tumor. It can also be used to treat areas of cancer spread in other parts of the body.

High-dose chemo and stem cell transplant

This type of treatment might be an option if other treatments have not cured the cancer. The goal is to destroy all of the cancer cells in the body. First, you receive very high doses of chemo. This is followed by an infusion of blood stem cells. This helps rebuild the bone marrow, which is where new blood cells are made.

Clinical trials for new treatments

Researchers are always looking for new ways to treat Ewing sarcoma. These new methods are tested in clinical trials. Talk with your child's healthcare provider to find out if there are any clinical trials you should consider.

Talking with your healthcare provider

At first, thinking about treatment options may seem overwhelming. Talk with your child's healthcare providers and loved ones. Make a list of questions. Consider the benefits and possible side effects of each option. Discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider before making a decision.