Ewing's sarcoma overview


 * Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Michael Maddaleni, B.S.

Overview
Ewing's sarcoma is the common name for primitive neuroectodermal tumor. It is a rare disease, and until recently, it had a very low long term survival rate. It is a small round-cell tumor in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue (rarer). The most common areas in which it occurs are the pelvis, the femur, the humerus, and the ribs. James Ewing (1866-1943) first described the tumor, establishing that the disease was separate from lymphoma and other types of cancer known at that time. Ewing's sarcoma occurs most frequently in male teenagers.

A more famous case of Ewing's sarcoma occurred at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. A football player for BC, named Mark Herzlich, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in 2009. With help from new treatments and surgery, he was able to beat the cancer. He currently plays in the NFL for the New York Giants.