The role of surgery and resection margins in the treatment of Ewing's sarcoma

Primary extraskeletal intradural Ewing sarcoma with acute hemorrhage: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord tumors present a challenge in diagnosis and treatment due to their varied histopathological characteristics. While Ewing sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor typically originating from skeletal bone, cases of primary intradural extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma are exceptionally rare. The similarity of its presentation to other spinal tumors further complicates its identification and management.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a case of a 58-year-old Palestinian male with intradural extraskeletal lumbar Ewing sarcoma. The patient initially presented with lower back pain and bilateral S1 radiculopathy, with more severe symptoms on the left side. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 7 cm oval-shaped mass with homogeneous contrast enhancement, obstructing the spinal canal from L3/L4 to L5/S1 levels. Initially, a myxopapillary ependymoma was suspected, but the patient's sensory and motor functions suddenly deteriorated during hospitalization. Repeat magnetic resonance imaging indicated heterogeneous contrast enhancement, indicating acute intratumoral hemorrhage. Consequently, the patient underwent emergent L3-L5 laminotomy, with successful gross total resection of the tumor. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the diagnosis of intradural extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma. Adjuvant therapy was administered to minimize the risk of local recurrence or distant metastasis. A systematic review of relevant literature, along with retrospective analysis of medical records, operative reports, radiological studies, and histopathological findings of similar cases, was also conducted.

CONCLUSIONS

Intradural extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma is an infrequently encountered condition in adult patients, emphasizing the importance of considering it in the differential diagnosis of spinal tumors. Surgeons must possess a comprehensive understanding of this rare entity to ensure accurate staging and optimal management, particularly in the early stages when prompt intervention may improve prognosis.

The Role of 3D Printing in Treatment Planning of Spine and Sacral Tumors

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has proven to have many advantages in spine and sacrum surgery. 3D printing allows the manufacturing of life-size patient-specific anatomic and pathologic models to improve preoperative understanding of patient anatomy and pathology. Additionally, virtual surgical planning using medical computer-aided design software has enabled surgeons to create patient-specific surgical plans and simulate procedures in a virtual environment. This has resulted in reduced operative times, decreased complications, and improved patient outcomes. Combined with new surgical techniques, 3D-printed custom medical devices and instruments using titanium and biocompatible resins and polyamides have allowed innovative reconstructions.

Evaluation of Potential Targets for Fluorescence-Guided Surgery in Pediatric Ewing Sarcoma: A Preclinical Proof-of-Concept Study

Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), based on fluorescent tracers binding to tumor-specific biomarkers, could assist surgeons to achieve complete tumor resections. This study evaluated potential biomarkers for FGS in pediatric Ewing sarcoma (ES). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to assess CD99, CXCR4, CD117, NPY-R-Y1, and IGF-1R expression in ES biopsies and resection specimens. LINGO-1 and GD2 evaluation did not work on the acquired tissue. Based on the immunoreactive scores, anti-CD99 and anti-CD117 were evaluated for binding specificity using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. Anti-GD2, a tracer in the developmental phase, was also tested. These three tracers were topically applied to a freshly resected ES tumor and adjacent healthy tissue. IHC demonstrated moderate/strong CD99 and CD117 expression in ES tumor samples, while adjacent healthy tissue had limited expression. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed high CD99 expression, along with low/moderate CD117 and low GD2 expression, in ES cell lines. Topical anti-CD99 and anti-GD2 application on ES tumor showed fluorescence, while anti-CD117 did not show fluorescence for this patient. In conclusion, CD99-targeting tracers hold promise for FGS of ES. CD117 and GD2 tracers could be potential alternatives. The next step towards development of ES-specific FGS tracers could be ex vivo topical application experiments on a large cohort of ES patients.

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.

Virtual surgical planning and 3D printing in pediatric musculoskeletal oncological resections: a proof-of-concept description

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Patient-specific models may have a role in planning and executing complex surgical procedures. However, creating patient-specific models with virtual surgical planning (VSP) has many steps, from initial imaging to finally realizing the three-dimensional printed model (3DPM). This manuscript evaluated the feasibility and potential benefits of multimodal imaging and geometric VSP and 3DPM in pediatric orthopedic tumor resection and reconstruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twelve children with Ewing's sarcoma, osteosarcoma, or chondrosarcoma were studied. Computed tomography (CT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were acquired as the standard-of-care. Bony and soft tissue components of the tumor and the adjacent bone were segmented to create a computer-generated 3D model of the region. VSP used the computer-generated 3D model. The Objet350 Stratasys™ polyjet printer printed the final physical model used for pre-surgical planning, intraoperative reference, and patient education. Clinical impact, the utility of the model, and its geometric accuracy were assessed.

RESULTS

Subjectively, using the patient-specific model assisted in preoperative planning and intra-operative execution of the surgical plan. The mean difference between the models and the surgical resection was -0.09 mm (range: -0.29-0.45 mm). Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) of the cross-sectional area was -0.9994, linear regression r² = 0.9989, and the Bland Altman plot at 95% confidence interval showed all data within boundaries.

CONCLUSION

We studied the geometric accuracy, utility and clinical impact of VSP and 3DPM produced from multi-modal imaging studies and concluded 3DPM accurately represented the patients' tumor and proved very useful to the surgeon in both the preoperative surgical planning, patient and family education and operative phases. Future studies will be planned to evaluate surgery procedure duration and other outcomes.

Mid and long-term overall survival after carcinologic resections of thyroid cancer bone metastases

Background

Bone metastases in thyroid cancer impair the patient's quality of life and prognosis. Interestingly, wide margins resection as the surgical treatment of bone metastases might improve the overall survival (OS). Nonetheless, data are lacking regarding the potential benefits of this strategy.

Methods

In order to assess the OS of patients with thyroid cancer after a bone metastases carcinologic resection, a retrospective multicentric study was performed, evaluating the 1, 5, 10 and 15 years-OS along with the potential prognosis associated factors.

Results

40 patients have been included in this multicentric study, with a mean follow-up after surgery of 46.6 ± 58 months. We observed 25 (62.5%) unimestastatic patients and 15 multimetastatic patients (37.5%). The median overall survival after resection was 48 ± 57.3 months. OS at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years was respectively 76.2%, 63.6%, 63.6%, and 31.8%. Survival for patients with a single bone metastasis at 15 year was 82.3%, compared with 0.0% (Log Rank, p = 0.022) for multi-metastatic bone patients.

Conclusions

This study advocates for an increased long term 10-year OS in patients with thyroid cancer, after resection of a single bone metastasis, suggesting the benefits of this strategy in this population.

EWS-FLI1-targeting peptide identifies Ewing sarcoma tumor boundaries and lymph node metastasis via near-infrared imaging

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is one of the most aggressive types of pediatric tumors. The lack of tools for the identification of ES has largely hindered clinical diagnosis and the improvement of treatment. To address this challenge, we synthesized a near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (CS2‐N‐E9R) that targets the ES‐specific fusion protein EWS–FLI1 (E/F). This probe exhibited specific and high binding affinity to E/F. Further studies in animal models showed that CS2‐N‐E9R can be used to identify the boundaries of ES and lymph node metastases under a complex biological environment. These results demonstrate that CS2‐N‐E9R is a promising probe for early diagnosis and surgical guidance of ES through molecularly targeted NIR imaging.

Primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma: rare cause of massive hemothorax in a young girl-case report

BACKGROUND

Ewing's sarcoma is a common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. Rarely, extra-skeletal soft tissues and visceral organs can also be the site of origin of Ewing's sarcoma. Primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma is an extremely rare malignancy.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report an unusual case of primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma in a 15-year-old girl who initially presented with massive hemothorax. By histopathology evaluation of surgical biopsy specimens, the diagnosis of extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma was confirmed by both light microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Emergency, open surgery was performed by thoracic surgery at an early stage. After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, the patient was found to be stable at follow-up examination. No more hydrothorax or other symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

We have described an extremely rare case of primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma with massive hemothorax. The patient underwent surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy, no sign of recurrence to date as an outcome.

Ewing Sarcoma-Diagnosis, Treatment, Clinical Challenges and Future Perspectives

Ewing sarcoma, a highly aggressive bone and soft-tissue cancer, is considered a prime example of the paradigms of a translocation-positive sarcoma: a genetically rather simple disease with a specific and neomorphic-potential therapeutic target, whose oncogenic role was irrefutably defined decades ago. This is a disease that by definition has micrometastatic disease at diagnosis and a dismal prognosis for patients with macrometastatic or recurrent disease. International collaborations have defined the current standard of care in prospective studies, delivering multiple cycles of systemic therapy combined with local treatment; both are associated with significant morbidity that may result in strong psychological and physical burden for survivors. Nevertheless, the combination of non-directed chemotherapeutics and ever-evolving local modalities nowadays achieve a realistic chance of cure for the majority of patients with Ewing sarcoma. In this review, we focus on the current standard of diagnosis and treatment while attempting to answer some of the most pressing questions in clinical practice. In addition, this review provides scientific answers to clinical phenomena and occasionally defines the resulting translational studies needed to overcome the hurdle of treatment-associated morbidities and, most importantly, non-survival.

Assessment of Resection Margins in Bone Tumor Surgery

Limb salvage surgery is now the preferred procedure for bone tumor surgery. To decrease the risk of local recurrence, it is crucial to obtain adequate resection margins. The obtained margins must be evaluated postoperatively because they influence what treatment is given subsequently when margins are not adequate (e.g., surgical revision and radiotherapy). The study aims to evaluate margin assessment of tumor specimen by MRI compared to conventional histology (to establish the viability of using MRI) and assess the accuracy of a patient-specific instrument when narrow margins were aimed. The resection margins in 12 consecutive patients that were operated on for bone tumor resection were prospectively analyzed using three methods: MRI of the resection specimen, macroscopic evaluation of specimen slices, and microscopic pathological evaluation. The assessments were qualitative (R0, R1, and R2) and quantitative (distance in mm). MRI, macroscopic, and microscopic margins generated similar results for both the qualitative (all resections were R0) and quantitative assessments. The median error in safe margins was 2 mm with a surgical guide (PSI) and 5 mm without a surgical guide. Local recurrences were not detected after a mean follow-up period of 3.7 years (range, 2.1-5 years); however, four patients died during the study. In conclusion, MRI is a valuable tool for assessing safe margins. When specimens are not available for pathological assessment (e.g., extracorporeally irradiated autograft or autoclaved autograft), MRI could be used to evaluate margins. In particular, when tumor volume is high, MRI could also help to focus the pathological examination on areas of concern.

Multimodal treatment including standard chemotherapy with vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and etoposide for the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors in Japan: Results of the Japan Ewing Sarcoma Study 04

BACKGROUND

The survival rate in patients with Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) in Japan was reported to be < 50% in the 1990s. The Japan Ewing Sarcoma Study Group was established to improve the prognosis of ESFT in Japan. The aim of this phase II trial was to determine the efficacy and safety of multimodal treatment for nonmetastatic ESFT.

PROCEDURE

Patients with ESFT aged < 30 years were eligible for participation. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (VDC) alternating with ifosfamide and etoposide (IE) repeating every 21 days for 52 weeks. Local treatment included surgery and/or radiation therapy (0-55.8 Gy) based on the margin of resection and histologic response. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at three years. The study was designed to test whether the lower limit of the 90% confidence interval for PFS would exceed the threshold of 60%. The planned sample size was 53 patients, allowing for 10% of patients being ineligible.

RESULTS

Of the 53 patients screened for entry, seven were deemed ineligible. Forty-six patients were considered as the per-protocol set and were used for the efficacy analysis. Three-year PFS was 71.7% (0.59-0.81). Estimated five-year PFS and overall survival were both 69.6%. Although no previously unknown adverse event was reported, three patients developed secondary malignancies (acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and osteosarcoma, one patient each).

CONCLUSIONS

Multimodal treatment with standard VDC-IE chemotherapy improved the prognosis for patients with ESFT in Japan, although statistical confirmation of efficacy compared to historical control was not achieved.

Prognostic factors and survival in Ewing's sarcoma treated by limb salvage surgery

PURPOSE

Survival in Ewing's sarcoma (ES) has increased with the use of chemotherapy. Surgical techniques such as limb salvage (LS) have been developed. Survival and adverse events have been widely studied in general series of ES, but there are few specific series of ES cases treated by LS, despite this being the most commonly used (surgical) approach. The aim of this study was to determine survival and prognostic factors in ES patients undergoing LS.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We analysed all ES patients treated between January 1984 and May 2008 and selected all those treated by systemic multimodal therapy and LS. We assessed the influence of patient characteristics, tumour parameters and therapeutic results in event-free survival (EFS).

RESULTS

Ninety patients were included. Fifty of them were treated by systemic multimodal therapy and locally by LS. ean age was 20 years. Overall survival (OS) was 68.8% and EFS was 60.6% at years. In the univariate analysis, pelvic location, age and response to chemotherapy were associated with poor prognosis. After multivariate analysis, poor response to treatment, pelvis location and age between 12 and 17 years were found to be independent prognostic factors. Dissemination at diagnosis was not a prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONS

OS and EFS in ES treated by LS were similar to findings in previous ES studies. factors are no different, except for the presence of metastasis at diagnosis.

Ewing Sarcoma of the Spine: Prognostic Variables for Survival and Local Control in Surgically Treated Patients

STUDY DESIGN

Multicenter, ambispective observational study.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify mortality and local recurrence after surgical treatment of spinal Ewing sarcoma (ES) and to determine whether an Enneking appropriate procedure and surgical margins (en bloc resection with wide/marginal margins) are associated with improved prognosis.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Treatment of primary ES of the spine is complex. Ambiguity remains regarding the role and optimal type of surgery in the treatment of spinal ES.

METHODS

The AOSpine Knowledge Forum Tumor developed a multicenter database including demographics, diagnosis, treatment, mortality, and recurrence rate data for spinal ES. Patients were stratified based on surgical margins and Enneking appropriateness. Survival and recurrence were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight patients diagnosed with primary spinal ES underwent surgery. Enneking appropriateness of surgery was known for 55 patients; 24 (44%) treated Enneking appropriately (EA) and 31 (56%) treated Enneking inappropriately (EI). A statistically significant difference in favor of EA-treated patients was found with regards to survival (P = 0.034). Neoadjuvant and postoperative chemotherapy was significantly associated with increased survival (P = 0.008). Local recurrence occurred in 22% (N = 5) of patients with an EA procedure versus 38% (N = 11) of patients with an EI procedure. The timing of chemotherapy treatment was significantly different between the Enneking cohorts (P < 0.001) and all EA-treated patients received chemotherapy treatment. Although, local recurrence was not significantly different between Enneking cohorts (P = 0.140), intralesional surgical margins and patients who received a previous spine tumor operation were associated with increased local recurrence (P = 0.025 and P = 0.018, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Surgery should be undertaken when an en bloc resection with wide/marginal margins is feasible. An EA surgery correlates with improved survival, but the impact of other prognostic factors needs to be evaluated. En bloc resection with wide/marginal margins is associated with local control.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3.

Risk analysis factors for local recurrence in Ewing’s sarcoma

Aims

The aim of this study was to analyse a group of patients with non-metastatic Ewing’s sarcoma at presentation and identify prognostic factors affecting the development of local recurrence, in order to assess the role of radiotherapy.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective review of all patients with a Ewing’s sarcoma treated between 1980 and 2012 was carried out. Only those treated with chemotherapy followed by surgery and/or radiotherapy were included. Patients were grouped according to site (central or limb) for further analysis of the prognostic factors.

Results

A total of 388 patients were included in the study. Of these, 60 (15%) developed local recurrence at a mean median of 27 months (sd 24, range 7 to 150) and the five-year local recurrence-free survival (5yrLRFS) was 83%. For central tumours, the size of the tumour and histological response to chemotherapy were found to be significant factors for local recurrence. For limb tumours, local recurrence was affected by intralesional and marginal resections, but not by the histological response to chemotherapy. Radiotherapy in those with a marginal resection reduced the risk of local recurrence (5yrLRFS: 96% versus 81%, p = 0.044).

Conclusion

Local recurrence significantly affects the overall survival in patients with a Ewing’s sarcoma. For those with a tumour in a limb, radiotherapy reduced the risk of local recurrence, especially in those with a marginal margin of excision, but the effect in central tumours was less clear. Radiotherapy for those who have had a wide margin of resection does not reduce the risk of local recurrence, regardless of the histological response to chemotherapy. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B: 247–55.

Postoperative infections after limb-sparing surgery for primary bone tumors of the pelvis: Incidence, characterization and functional impact

INTRODUCTION

Surgical site infections (SSI) represent the most common postoperative complication after limb sparing surgery for primary malignant bone tumors, with incidence ranging from 10 to 47%. There is no consensus concerning about the optimal surgical strategy, or the adequate antibiotic prophylaxis in pelvic resections. A greater knowledge of these infections and their surgical trajectories seem essential to obtain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively studied 45 cases of pelvic resection, including at least the periacetabular zone 2 of Enneking, performed between 1989 and 2013 in the same center. Infection rate, risk factors and surgical trajectories were analyzed. The impact of a postoperative infection on the quality of life and functional recovery was evaluated by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scoring system (MSTS).

RESULTS

Sixteen patients presented a SSI in the first post-operative year (35.6%). We found as risk factors the pre-operative ASA score, the age at surgery and the number of packed red cells transfused during surgery. In case of failure of an initial washout, an iterative procedure is responsible for a high failure rate of 88.9%. Irrespective of the type of reconstruction, our functional results show that this surgery is often a source of handicap with a MSTS score of 13.77 in infected patients versus 17.70 in non-infected patients, at two-year follow-up.

DISCUSSION

In case of failure of an initial wash, prosthetic material must be removed and a hip transposition procedure should be preferred to a second-look surgery. Concerning prophylactic antibiotherapy, a dual therapy for at least 48 h after surgery should probably be preferred.

Treatment of Bone Tumors

In this article, the authors summarize the state of the art and future potential in the management of Osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and Chondrosarcoma. They cover systemic therapy, surgical therapy, and radiotherapy, along with targeted therapies to inhibit signal transduction pathways. They discuss staging and the role of imaging evaluation to provide an overview of bone tumor treatment. Images presenting pathologic-radiologic correlations are included.

Assessment of extent of surgical resection of primary high-grade osteosarcoma by treating institutions: A report from the Children's Oncology Group

BACKGROUND

Complete surgical resection of primary tumors is critical for long-term control of high-grade osteosarcoma. Uniform assessment of the extent of surgical resection is important in clinical trials, though the accuracy of this reporting has been poorly studied.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients 5-40 years of age with newly diagnosed high-grade resectable osteosarcoma treated as part of the AOST0331 clinical trial at Children's Oncology Group institutions. The extent of surgical resection of the primary tumor was graded as wide or radical by the treating institution. Central assessment of the extent of resection by two orthopedic oncologists was compared with institutional assessment by reviewing pathology and operative reports.

RESULTS

We included 956 patients who had data available for central review. The extent of resection reported by treating institutions was 536/956 (56%) radical and 420/956 (44%) wide. The extent of resection assessed by central review was 162/956 (17%) radical and 794/956 (83%) wide. The overall discordance rate for the cohort was 43%.

CONCLUSIONS

Institutional reports of radical resection in high-grade osteosarcoma significantly over-estimate the proportion of patients undergoing radical resection. This highlights the need for centralized review and improved accuracy of reporting of the extent of resection. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:351-354. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Computer-Assisted Planning and Patient-Specific Instruments for Bone Tumor Resection within the Pelvis: A Series of 11 Patients

Pelvic bone tumor resection is challenging due to complex geometry, limited visibility, and restricted workspace. Accurate resection including a safe margin is required to decrease the risk of local recurrence. This clinical study reports 11 cases of pelvic bone tumor resected by using patient-specific instruments. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to delineate the tumor and computerized tomography to localize it in 3D. Resection planning consisted in desired cutting planes around the tumor including a safe margin. The instruments were designed to fit into unique position on the bony structure and to indicate the desired resection planes. Intraoperatively, instruments were positioned freehand by the surgeon and bone cutting was performed with an oscillating saw. Histopathological analysis of resected specimens showed tumor-free bone resection margins for all cases. Available postoperative computed tomography was registered to preoperative computed tomography to measure location accuracy (minimal distance between an achieved and desired cut planes) and errors on safe margin (minimal distance between the achieved cut planes and the tumor boundary). The location accuracy averaged 2.5 mm. Errors in safe margin averaged −0.8 mm. Instruments described in this study may improve bone tumor surgery within the pelvis by providing good cutting accuracy and clinically acceptable margins.

Ewing's sarcoma of bone

Ewing's sarcoma of bone is a primary bone sarcoma found predominantly in patients during their second decade of life. It is a high-grade aggressive small round blue cell tumor that is part of the Ewing's family of tumors. Its exact eitiology is unknown but it commonly demonstrates reproducible staining of CD99 and translocations of the EWS gene. Historically, this diagnosis was associated with near certain metastasis and subsequent mortality. However, current management consists of extensive chemotherapy in addition to local control with surgical resection and/or radiation. As a result, survival has improved to the 55-75% range in those patients who present without known metastases. Current research aims to continue this improvement by looking further into the associated gene abnormalities and possibly targeted therapies.

Ewing sarcoma of the first metacarpal with a 9-year follow-up: case report

Ewing sarcoma is a primary bone tumor that rarely occurs in the hand. We present a case involving the thumb metacarpal with long-term follow-up. Carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal arthrodeses with autograft are relatively simple procedures that stabilized the thumb and preserved satisfactory function.

Should Aggressive Surgical Local Control Be Attempted in All Patients with Metastatic or Pelvic Ewing's Sarcoma?

In previous reports, patients with Ewing's sarcoma received radiation therapy (XRT) for definitive local control because metastatic disease and pelvic location were thought to preclude aggressive local treatment. We sought to determine if single-site metastatic disease should be treated differently from multicentric-metastatic disease. We also wanted to reinvestigate the impact of XRT, pelvic location, and local recurrence on outcomes. Our results demonstrated a significant difference in overall survival (OS) between patients with either localized disease or a single-metastatic site and patients with multicentric-metastatic disease (P = 0.004). Local control was also found to be an independent predictor of outcomes as demonstrated by a significant difference in OS between those with and without local recurrence (P = 0.001). Axial and pelvic location did not predict a decreased OS. Based on these results, we concluded that pelvic location and the diagnosis of metastatic disease at diagnosis should not preclude aggressive local control, except in cases of multicentric-metastatic disease.

Oncological outcomes of patients with Ewing's sarcoma: is there a difference between skeletal and extra-skeletal Ewing's sarcoma?

The aim of this study was to identify whether there was any difference in patient, tumour, treatment or outcome characteristics between patients with skeletal or extra-skeletal Ewing's sarcoma. We identified 300 patients with new primary Ewing's sarcoma diagnosed between 1980 and 2005 from the centres' local database. There were 253 (84%) with skeletal and 47 (16%) with extra-skeletal Ewing's sarcomas. Although patients with skeletal Ewing's were younger (mean age 16.8 years) than those with extra-skeletal Ewing's sarcoma (mean age 27.5 years), there was little difference between the groups in terms of tumour stage or treatment. Nearly all the patients were treated with chemotherapy and most had surgery. There was no difference in the overall survival of patients with skeletal (64%) and extra-skeletal Ewing's sarcoma (61%) (p = 0.85), and this was also the case when both groups were split by whether they had metastases or not. This large series has shown that the oncological outcomes of Ewing's sarcoma are related to tumour characteristics and patient age, and not determined by whether they arise in bone or soft tissue.

[Megaprostheses: KMFTR to GMRS]

The first trend-setting development of megaprostheses was initiated by Martin Salzer who introduced a ceramic prosthesis system in Vienna in 1972 for proximal humeral resection in patients with sarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma. Up until 1982, custom-made prostheses for the distal but also for the proximal femur were used for cementless implants with stem and side plates with screws. The Howmedica Modular Resection System (HMRS) exists since 1988. At the same time as the HMRS system was developed for the lower extremity, a system was also devised for the upper extremity, the Howmedica Humerus Modular Resection System, and the Global Modular Replacement System (GMRS) has been available since 2002.

Ewing sarcoma family of tumors

The Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) consists of a group of tumors characterized by morphologically similar round-cell neoplasm and by the presence of a common chromosomal translocation. Although rare, such tumors constitute the third most frequent primary sarcoma of bone after osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma. ESFT most commonly affects young children and adolescents. Because most patients with clinically apparent localized disease at diagnosis may also have occult metastatic (ie, systemic) disease, multidrug chemotherapy as well as local disease control with surgery and/or radiation therapy are indicated for all patients. Despite marked improvements in survival during the past 40 years for patients with localized disease, lesser improvements have been seen in patients with metastatic or recurrent disease. A better understanding of the complex biology of ESFT may lead to the successful development of biologically targeted therapies. As the regulatory pathways responsible for transformation, growth, and metastasis of ESFT become more refined, the number of potential therapeutic targets will expand.

Management of tumors of the chest wall in childhood: a review

Chest wall tumors in childhood are major challenges with respect to diagnostic workup and treatment. Incidence rate is less than 1 per 1,000,000 and various benign and malignant diseases are noted. From the malignant diseases, Ewing tumors and rhabdomyosarcoma tumors are most often seen. Depending on diagnosis, staging, and age, therapy has to be tailored for each patient, which should be discussed in a multidisciplinary team setting. Radical resection is in most cases the major component of treatment. Use of chemotherapy depends on the diagnosis. In soft-tissue tumors, previously considered to be chemotherapy insensitive, favorable results are currently reported. The role of radiotherapy is debated owing to its pronounced late sequelae in children, but should be added when adequate margins cannot be achieved by surgery.

Chemotherapy response is an important predictor of local recurrence in Ewing sarcoma

BACKGROUND

Local recurrence in Ewing sarcoma is associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors that predict local recurrence after surgical treatment of the primary tumor.

METHODS

Between 1990 and 2001, 64 patients underwent surgical resection of Ewing sarcoma. Surgical margins were assessed histologically and radiologically. Response to preoperative chemotherapy was determined by detailed specimen mapping. Local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) was calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed with the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

A number of factors were found to be associated with local recurrence on univariate analysis. Patients with a good response to chemotherapy (> or = 90% tumor necrosis), had superior LRFS at 5 years (86% vs 51%, P = .015). Central site of disease was associated with an increased rate of recurrence. The LRFS at 5 years was 50% for the chest wall, 74% for pelvic/scapular, and 86% for extremity tumors (P = .083). Positive surgical margin was not a strong predictor of recurrence (P = .72). A critical analysis of minimal surgical margin based on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans also failed to reveal an association between margin and local recurrence. In multivariate analysis, the 2 independent predictors of local recurrence were histological response to chemotherapy and central site of disease.

CONCLUSION

Local recurrence after surgical resection is a complex phenomenon. An important predictive factor is the response to chemotherapy. In the current study, this seems to have the largest impact. Central site of disease may be a second independent predictive factor.

Pelvic reconstruction with a structural pelvic allograft after resection of a malignant bone tumor

BACKGROUND

Reconstruction of the pelvic arch after resection of a malignant pelvic tumor remains a major surgical challenge because of the high rate of associated complications. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the functional outcome and complication rate following treatment with a bone allograft to reconstruct the pelvis.

METHODS

Twenty-four consecutive patients underwent excision of a malignant pelvic bone tumor and reconstruction with a pelvic bone allograft. The living patients were followed for a minimum of twenty-four months. There were nineteen primary malignant bone tumors, sixteen of which were high-grade sarcomas, and there were five isolated metastases. Patients were examined clinically and radiographically and were assessed functionally with the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients at the time of the index surgery was thirty-four years, and the mean duration of follow-up was forty-one months. Eighteen of the twenty-four resections involved the periacetabular area and were followed by reconstruction either with a hip prosthesis (thirteen) or with an osteochondral allograft alone (five). The six other resections involved the iliac bone. All patients received a massive bone allograft that had been sterilely procured without secondary irradiation. At the time of our last evaluation, eight patients were alive and free of disease. Seven patients had a local recurrence. Neurological deficits were present in six patients, and three had a deep infection. Nonunion of three of the sixteen allografts that could be evaluated was observed. Neither graft fracture nor lysis was observed. Eleven patients underwent surgical revision, with nine of these revisions related to the reconstruction. The average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score at the time of the latest follow-up was 73% of the maximal possible score. The average score was 82% for the eleven patients with an age of less than twenty years at the time of the index procedure and 65% for the thirteen older patients. Ten patients walked without any assistive device, and five of them had normal function with no or only a slight limp.

CONCLUSIONS

Pelvic reconstruction after a limb-sparing resection is associated with a high risk of surgical complications and usually should be reserved for patients with a primary bone sarcoma. A pelvic allograft can restore the anatomy and provide good functional results, especially in young patients. Nonunion was the most common allograft-related complication.

Comparative analysis between osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma: evaluation of the time from onset of signs and symptoms until diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

The purposes of this study were to describe the early signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma, identify symptoms that could be used to help differentiate the two types of tumors, and determine the time elapsed between the onset of signs and symptoms and the definitive diagnosis in our service, providing information and imputus for earlier diagnosis of these tumors.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the medical dossiers of 365 patients under 30 years of age diagnosed with osteosarcoma or Ewing's sarcoma was performed, and the aspects of the clinical diagnosis were statistically analyzed and compared.

RESULTS

The time between the onset of signs and the symptoms was 5.25 months for osteosarcoma and 8.1 months for Ewing's sarcoma, and the most frequent (89.5%) early symptom of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma was local pain. Symptoms that might aid diagnosis included early local volume increase and the presence of fever.

CONCLUSION

The time until diagnosis of both neoplasias was higher than that reported for North America and Europe. Education of the lay public and medical professionals regarding suspicious early signs and symptoms might shorten the delay of diagnosis.

Current treatment for Ewing's sarcoma

Ewing's sarcoma is the second most common primary bone tumor seen in children and adolescents, and was described by James Ewing in 1921 as a diffuse endothelioma of bone. It is one of the differential diagnoses of pediatric small round blue cell tumors. This is not a single condition, but a group of morphologically and clinically closely related disorders with similar molecular biology -- expression of tumor-specific chimeric oncoproteins through balanced chromosomal translocations involving the EWS gene -- often referred to as the Ewing family of tumors. This includes Ewing's sarcoma of bone, extra-osseous Ewing's sarcoma, Askin tumor and peripheral neuroectodermal tumor. These are aggressive neoplasms with almost 25% of patients having clinically evident metastases at presentation. Ewing's sarcoma has therefore been considered as a systemic disease necessitating local as well as systemic treatment. An aggressive multidisciplinary approach has resulted in significant improvement in prognosis for patients with these tumors. Despite aggressive treatment, 20-40% of patients with localized disease and almost 80% of patients with metastatic disease at presentation succumb to the illness. Advances in understanding the molecular biology of these tumors will hopefully result in the development of novel treatment approaches. The aim of this article is to review the existing treatment methods and to highlight the more recent approaches to the treatment of this condition.

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.

[Surgery of primary malignant bone tumors]

The term primary malignant bone tumors covers a diversity of entities. Tumor resection is preferable in most. In some, surgery alone is sufficient, in others therapy will be based on a combined modality concept. Resection plays the essential role in those tumors treated by surgery alone, e.g., primary osseous fibrosarcoma. The combined modality approach in osteosarcomas or Ewing's tumors provides for additional elements of local therapy (radiotherapy) or systemic treatment (chemotherapy). The relevance of surgery for local control varies in these latter diagnoses. In highly malignant osteosarcoma, where wide margin surgery is of utmost importance, only 10-20% of patients will survive longer than 5 years without aggressive systemic chemotherapy. Radiotherapy in these patients is only indicated when "marginal" or "less than marginal" surgery is expected. In terms of efficacy, radiotherapy is inferior to surgery. In disseminated osteosarcoma, a curative treatment approach will also provide for surgical removal of all metastases. Treatment of primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone is identical to osteosarcoma therapy. Since radiotherapy appears to be marginally more effective than in osteosarcoma, both modalities of local therapy are used. Systemic chemotherapy adds an additional benefit for improved survival. Therapy for Ewing's tumor also follows a combined modality approach. The introduction of systemic chemotherapy has raised 5-year survival rates from less than 10% to above 60%. The role of surgery is currently subject to debate. At present, the use of surgery or irradiation for local control is tailored to the individual patient's needs.

Ewing sarcoma: the pediatrician's point of view

BACKGROUND

Integrated multimodal care is needed for patients with Ewing sarcoma, which is the second most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescence. Chemotherapy increases survival from less than 5% to 65-70% for patients with localized tumors and to 25-30% for those with metastases at diagnosis. Surgery is a major tool, whereas advances in imaging techniques have improved the indications for and the optimization of treatment. Radiotherapy remains useful, either alone or in addition to surgery, and new techniques (conformational RT and IMRT) will reduce short-term toxic effects. Pediatric oncologists do not outweigh surgeons or radiation therapists, but they are the ones who coordinate the medical team, which also includes pathologists and imaging specialists.

METHODS

The point of view of the pediatric oncologist was assessed as follows: the place of chemotherapy in Ewing tumor treatment, the place of radiotherapy in Ewing tumor treatment (including why avoid radiotherapy when technically possible in children), and how to proceed into the future? The place of surgery as local treatment for Ewing tumors was also evaluated.

RESULTS

These reviews show a dynamic and kaleidoscopic panorama of intense activity at the laboratory and clinical levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Though good survival rates have been achieved, improvements using entirely new approaches are needed.

Long-term event-free survival after intensive chemotherapy for Ewing's family of tumors in children and young adults

PURPOSE

To improve the long-term event-free survival of patients with Ewing's family of tumors (EFTs) using high-dose, short-term chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

P6 was a prospective study of previously untreated patients with newly diagnosed EFTs. Patients received seven cycles of chemotherapy. Cycles 1, 2, 3, and 6 consisted of cyclophosphamide 2,100 mg/m2/d on days 1 and 2, and a 72-hour continuous infusion of doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 and vincristine 2 mg/m2 starting day 1. Cycles 4, 5, and 7 consisted of 5 consecutive days of ifosfamide 1,800 mg/m2/d and etoposide 100 mg/m2/d.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight patients were enrolled from 1991 to 2001 (median age, 18.7 years; range, 3.7 to 39.9 years). At diagnosis, 44 patients had local-regional disease, and 24 had distant metastases. The 4-year event-free survival (EFS) rate for patients with local-regional disease is 82%; overall survival (OS) is 89%. The 4-year EFS rate for patients with distant metastases is 12%; the OS rate is 17.8%. All events occurred within 51 months of diagnosis. Four patients with distant metastases had progressive disease during therapy, and no patient with local-regional disease experienced disease progression during therapy.

CONCLUSION

Sustained EFS and OS can be achieved with intensive chemotherapy in children and young adults with local-regional EFTs. This therapy is relatively ineffective in the treatment of metastatic EFTs.

Current concepts in the treatment of Ewing's sarcoma

Current concepts in the treatment of patients with Ewing's sarcoma are presented focusing on the role of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgical resection. Particular attention is given to current methods of limb salvage. Problem areas, including the pelvis, proximal femur and spine, are discussed.