Pediatric Ewing sarcoma: Care you can trust

Ewing sarcoma is a cancer that arises from bone or the soft tissue around bone. It most commonly occurs in the spine, pelvis, chest, arms or legs. It sometimes will spread to the lungs.

Symptoms can include:

• A lump in the arm or leg bone

• Pain in a bone

• Swelling or warmth near a bone

• Bone pain that does not get better over time or lasts longer than expected for a minor injury

• Limping

Diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma

To diagnose Ewing sarcoma, your child’s doctor will do an exam, take a detailed medical history and order some tests. Tests can include:

• X-rays

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

• A bone scan

• A biopsy to get a sample of the tissue. This will be done while your child is under anesthesia.

Treatment for Ewing sarcoma can include one or all of the following:

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation therapy: High energy X-rays are used to shrink tumors and prevent them from growing

• Surgery 

• Amputation: In rare cases, Ewing sarcoma cannot be completely removed by just removing the tumor and an amputation of the affected limb might be needed.

Understanding pediatric cancer

Our UW Carbone Cancer Center specialists offer the most advanced treatment options. Our pediatric cancer and blood disorder experts are national research leaders. We test new therapies and continue to work on therapies for pediatric cancer and blood disorders. For many children with rare or hard-to-treat conditions, clinical trials provide new options.

Search our clinical trials

Receiving care from the UW Health Kids | Carbone Cancer Center hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant program at American Family Children’s Hospital means you have access to the knowledge and skills of many medical and support specialists for your child’s complex health diagnosis like cancer.

Your child’s team will include:

• Oncologists (cancer doctors)

• Hematologists (blood disease doctors)

• Mental health specialists (health psychologists)

• Nurse practitioners

• Child life specialists

• Pain and symptom management specialists (doctors and advance practice providers)

• Pharmacists

• Physical, occupational and speech therapists

• Radiologists and radiation technologists

• Social workers

• Orthopedic surgeons

When your child needs hospitalization, they will be admitted to American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wis.

Child life specialists help your child and family cope with any fears and anxieties. The American Family Children's Hospital patient and family visitor guide features information about:

• Hero beads

• Hospital school

• Positive Image Center

• Restoring Hope Transplant House (for blood and bone marrow transplant)

• Spiritual care services

• Tyler's Place (sibling child care)